DFID, Christian body rally support for physically challenged persons living
By Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
In its bid to improve the quality of life of persons living with disabilities in Nigerian remote communities, the Department For International Development (DFID) in partnership with the International Christian Development Organization (CBM) has reiterated its willingness to provide humanitarian assistance and support to disabled persons in the North East region.
Speaking during a workshop on Disability-Inclusion Humanitarian Action in Abuja, the Country Director CBM, Bright Ekeremadu said that the workshop is timely hence the need to raise awareness on disability inclusion in aid –related programmes.
According to him, the workshop attended by senior representatives of government and donor agencies, is an initiative of key stakeholders including humanitarian agencies geared towards charting the way forward for ensuring that those affected by crisis have access to inclusive assistance and protection.
Lamenting the plight of people living with disability, Ekeremadu explained that CBM’s global core mandate area is disability inclusion and mainstreaming of disability inclusion to build inclusive and resilient communities and comprehensive initiatives that strengthen capacity and systems.
“In order to build inclusive and resilient communities and comprehensive initiatives that strengthen capacity and systems, a key element of CBM’s programmatic priorities is to ensure that people with disabilities have equitable access to aid during and after humanitarian crises,’’ he said.
On his part, the North East Humanitarian Team Leader, DFID Nigeria, Mischa Foxell said that the DFID reaffirms its continued support to provide humanitarian assistance to people in the North East region of the country.
He added that the programme is aimed at delivering effective response to the basic needs of vulnerable people impacted by crisis.
“Over the next five years, the programme will ensure that conflict-affected populations in the North East are more resilient and better able to cope with crisis. In doing so, the programme will support interventions spanning response, recovery and development.
“It will achieve this by delivering humanitarian assistance in areas of nutrition and food security, protection and education in emergencies and multi-sectoral support, including health, water, shelter and livelihoods interventions in the North East,” Foxell stated.
Earlier, National President, Centre for Advocacy for Persons with Disability, Nike Omotunde Johnson, commended the CBM and other donors both local and international for the sensitization and support to ensure that the rights of persons living with disabilities are not trampled upon.
She further called on the federal government to employ sign language interpreters in all the government offices
“This workshop is coming at the right time, as we all know we have natural and human disasters. This workshop is a platform to sensitise the non-government sector on matters affecting people living with disabilities during natural disaster.
“Disability is not inability, is just ability to perform certain task. We thank God and the donors both local and international for the sensitization and support to help us get our rights as citizens,’’ she added.
