UNHCR solicits global support for Nigeria’s anti-terrorism war

• Builds 200 houses for IDPs in Benue 

As the world commemorates Refugee Day, the United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) representative to Nigeria, Angele Dikongue-Atangana, has called on the international community to join hands with the Nigerian government in addressing the root cause of displacement in the country.

Dikongue-Atangana who noted that the world is overwhelmed with the increasing number of displacement, said the international community must realize that the insurgency scourge is a problem that the world must stand up to face, as it not a matter of one entity or continent.

“It is a global scourge and we must all stand up to face it as such. We really have to become conscious of this scourge which cannot be regarded as an African matter or UNHCR matter, it is a global matter that needs to be tackled.

This is not a mere insurgency for Nigeria, it has become regional security problem and even a global problem, in as much as there are linkages with other terrorist groups,” she noted.

The UNHCR representative who made the call for global support for Nigeria, during an interview with The Guardian, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for “taking tactical approach in quelling the scourge, as the president has been visiting neighbouring countries, and liaising with stakeholders, and globally, the G7 countries have pledged support to Nigeria to end insurgency.”

She stated: “I will advise the government of Nigeria to sustain its effort in addressing the root causes of displacement in this country. Nigeria is a mighty country.

Being an African, I see Nigeria as a model and it has the potential to model sub-Saharan Africa. I am sure, with all the resources in this country, if we are willing to tackle the issue of displacement, it is possible, it only takes a political will and the resolve of all of us to tackle the matter and it is possible.”

Dikongue-Atangana stressed the need to properly resettle the IDPs, noting that “camp is not a place where anybody in this world will like to live, it is dehumanizing, it is something that is meant to be as temporary as possible, the maximum that we can do is to ensure that our displaced person is not left in camp.”

Disclosing plans by the UNHCR to commence housing project for IDPs in the North east, Dikongue-Atangana said the commission has started construction of 200 units of houses for some displaced persons in Guma Local government of Benue State to provide shelter for about 1000 IDPs.

According to her, the housing project would ensure that IDPs do not remain in camp for long. “That is why we refer to it as village, I don’t want to build camp because it is not what you wish for your worst enemy, so we need to build a place where people can live a normal life. We need to provide displaced persons with lasting solution, displacement is not normal, it is not the way people should be.”