By Fortune Abang
Abuja – The ECOWAS High Commission on Thursday pledged to continue to support Nigeria in tackling insurgency and providing humanitarian assistance to affected people in the North-eastern part of the country.
Mrs Florence Iheme, Acting Director, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, said this while donating relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Karon-Majigi community in FCT.
The donation, which was done in collaboration with National Commission For Refugees, Migrants and IDPs (NCFRMI), was part of programmes lined up to mark the 2018 World Humanitarian Day (WHD).
The items, worth N2million, included food and non-food items.
According to her, the donation was in fulfilment of the Commission’s operational mandate on provision of humanitarian assistance to its member states that are faced with insurgency.
“ECOWAS engages all member states, not just Nigeria but countries like Mali and others that are faced with one form of insurgency.
“Part of our mandate is to assist whatever the government, whichever governments, whether Nigeria or Mali or neigbouring countries affected by insurgency, like Cameroun, Chad.
“Our role is to support Nigeria, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan by trying to find solution to the insurgency in the north-east, as well as provide, humanitarian assistance to those that are affected.
“The Nigerian government has ECOWAS full support, there is definitely going to be some strengthening of the relationship between the Commission and Nigeria.
“We provided food last year worth about 1million US dollars to IDPs in the three most affected states in the north-east.
“So, it is an ongoing thing and definitely Nigeria has the support of ECOWAS.”
She said the donation was made to the people in the camp because it had 900 persons from three states, namely: Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa – living there.
She said that women numbering 500, youths, children and men were living in the community.
According to her, the materials donated will go a long way toward ameliorating the suffering of the residents of the community.
Speaking, the Chairman of the community, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, expressed gratitude for the donation of the items.
“We have been in this place for almost 5 years now; we really appreciate what you have done for us, most especially you, the non-governmental organisations.
“God so helped us that these items were brought to us by ECOWAS, we really appreciate it.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items donated included 50 bags of rice, 30 cartons of vegetable oil and 3 bags of assorted clothes.
The World Humanitarian Day often celebrated globally on August 19 of every year, was set aside by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad.
The theme for this year’s Day, which is, `NotATarget’, marks the 15th anniversary of the tragic attack of the 22 humanitarians, including Sergio de Mello, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Iraq.
(NAN)