UN recommends safe, voluntary return of IDPs
NAN-HG-4
Warning
By Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Feb. 16, 2017 (NAN) The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday advised the Nigerian Government to ensure safe and voluntary return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their respective communities.
The UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, made the call at a breakfast meeting with newsmen in Abuja.
Kallon also warned against “force eviction and arbitrary closure of IDPs camps’’ in the North East of Nigeria.
“I would like to urge the authorities to ensure return of people to their homes are safe and voluntary, well-informed based on up-to-date and accurate information on their homes of origin and respect people’s dignity.
“We cannot force people to go back when there is nothing for them; there should be no forced return.
“There should be no arbitrary closure of camps without guarantees of safety, access to basic services, critical infrastructure and humanitarian assistance,” he counselled.
According to him, he saw victims of insurgency scouting around with nothing to eat, no basic social services and schools were not functioning with health centres displaced during his recent visits to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
He noted that these were people chased out of their basic homes and now trying to return but could not even reach their land because of pockets of insecurity.
Kallon expressed concern about the hardship facing the returnees, stressing that most of the basic services and infrastructure including electricity had been destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents.
“So you can imagine how long it will take people to have light except we have miracles of clean energy because this requires major investment; bridges were blown off, houses were destroyed.
“People are returning to nothing, that is harsh reality, but when you are in centre of the state, besides those you see in you will not see these ugly faces I am describing to you.
“But as you get into the hinterland, where the average Nigerians are living, then you can see the hardship and suffering of the people.
“I am appealing for the application and recognition of the Kampala Convention which basically says that return should be voluntary to safe areas and with dignity,” he said.
Besides, the UNDP official emphasised the need for effective reintegration programmes for women, men, girls and boys previously held by Boko Haram.
Kallon said studies indicated that people who were held by Boko Haram face rejection from families and communities.
He said infrastructure rebuilding and livelihood support needed to run in parallel with social and psychosocial reintegration programmes to effectively rebuild communities.
“It is time to plant a seed of hope in the suffering communities – enough is enough.
“To make returns sustainable, recovery, reconstruction and peace building plans should be supported in areas where there is safe access.
“The rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical infrastructure like schools, hospitals, government administration blocks, among others, will significantly improve the normalisation of life in newly-accessible areas,” he said.
According to him, the earlier we begin our recovery interventions the better as these will also provide emergency employment to the local communities.
He said there was need to scale the response in providing durable solutions to the crisis before they become protracted.
This, he said, should include provision of immediate employment for the vulnerable, improving skills and access to longer term livelihoods opportunities, construction of permanent shelters/houses and reconstruction of key public infrastructure.
He called on the international community to support efforts that bridge the humanitarian-development nexus and begin to implement interventions that seek collective outcomes and localisation of response.
Kallon however expressed optimism that Nigeria would rise above its current challenges whether it is economy, insecurity or governance related.
He said the UN system was working hard to strengthen partnerships with the government, improving efficiency and making sure interventions are effective. (NAN)
IAA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola