Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri
August 13, 2017.
The United Nations Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, Peter Lundberg,
has said that insecurity and ongoing rainy season in Borno state; have
“impeded and delayed” rendering of humanitarian assistance to
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and vulnerable groups affected in
the eight-year Boko Haram insurgency.
Lundberg disclosed this on Monday in Maiduguri, while briefing
journalists on the challenges of the UN agency provide life-saving
humanitarian assistance to the IDPs.
He said the ongoing rainy season in Borno state, has however; created
challenges to UN humanitarian workers’ inaccessibility in some areas.
His words: “Our work like that of everyone working in the areas; is
often impeded or restricted as a result of insecurity and over 80 per
cent of Borno state is considered high or very high risk for
humanitarians.
“They are constraining access to desperately vulnerable communities.
The ongoing rainy season is also creating challenges to humanitarian
access in some areas.”
He further disclosed that no less than 6.9 million displaced persons
are targeted for humanitarian assistance in the three affected states
of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
He said the UN and its partners are currently providing food to only
about 1.3 million people every month; adding that; “Among whom 1.2
million have also received seeds, tools and fertilizers for this
year’s planting season.”
He said despite the insecurity challenges and inaccessibility, the UN
agency has treated about two million people for health problems, and
rehabilitated 60 health facilities that were destroyed in the
conflict.
Malnutrition, education, portable water, access to latrines, according
to Lundberg, remains the major priorities of the UN.
He said with support of Governments, the UN humanitarian workers are
to improve IDPs’ situation, including the ones that will be returning
from neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
“Saving lives remains of course our number one priority; but we have a
moral imperative to help the thousands; who are returning home to
stand on their own feet and get their lives going again,” declared
Lundberg.
He called on all parties to allow the safe, timely and unhindered
access for humanitarian assistance to all areas not only in Borno but
other states in the northeast.
