From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, yesterday, launched a Ramadan campaign to raise funds for N3.4 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria.
Speaking during the event in Abuja, the UNHCR Associate Reporting Officer, Mohamed Rahmathullah, said the crisis of internal displacement in Nigeria had persisted for more than 10 years.
He gave the breakdown of the IDPs to include 2.3 million in the North East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe; North West and North Central with 1.1 million, including two million Nigerian refugee returnees and 64,000 Cameroonians.
He said currently 3.4 million people in Nigeria were internally displaced, adding that 3.4 million is an astounding number.
“Over 342,000 Nigerian refugees have sought asylum in the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, due to violence and insecurity in the North East and North West.”
Rahmathullah said as the country witnessed increasing levels of internal displacement, UNHCR struggle to adequately respond to the growing humanitarian needs.
He disclosed UNHCR has been chronically underfunded, and so far, the current year has only received eight per cent out of the $107 million it needed in 2024 to support the various populations of concern.
Also speaking, the National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Fuad Adeyemi, expressed delight over the partnership.
He said the funds raised through the partnership would go a long way to ameliorate the sufferings of the IDPs.