From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Global humanitarian body International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has engaged over 600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and youths in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, to evacuate refuse and clear drainages in their communities as the heavy rainfall enters the second week in the state.
ICRC’s economic security field officer, Baba Musa Kyari, told Daily Sun at Bolori, a poluated community in Maiduguri on Thursday, that the exercise was designed by the organisation to create opportunity for income generation for the displaced persons and community members who are mostly youths.
‘Apart from improving the living environment of the population, the exercise is also an income generation opportunity to the IDPs and host communities,’ he explained.
He said each of the youths clearing and evacuating the drainages get about N75,000. He said the intent of the organisation is to help address the economic impact of the violence on families and coping mechanism for the displaced persons.
‘This amount will help them sustain their family needs for one or two months but most importantly, a large population of people will benefit from improved environment,’ he said. He indicated that the evacuation would cover 43 kilometres.
He added that those engaged were members of the communities who will in turn spend their earnings in same communities with their families thereby increasing resilience of the affected population.
Daily Sun observed that each of the worker was provided with overall jacket and protective rubber boots to clear the drainages.
Residents of the two communities said the poor disposal of waste in drainages led to the blockage and flood.
‘Our people here do not exhibit discipline. They have been pouring dirt, nylon and refuse in drainages and this led to the blockage. Water usually flow to our houses whenever it rains. We can’t access our communities again once rain falls because of flood,’ one of the workers, Umar Ali, told Daily Sun.
ICRC is an independent non-governmental organisation exclusively for humanitarian mission. It is largely eatablsihed to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and violence.