NEMA solicits UN support for IDPs
Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mohammed Sani Sidi, has appealed to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to, as a matter of urgency, lend its support to Nigeria to enable it to provide necessary and efficient support to the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs.
Sidi made the call at the NEMA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday while receiving an 18-man delegation of the UNOCHA led by, Mr John Ging, the Head of Humanitarian Team visiting Nigeria and the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria Mr Douda Toure.
The NEMA boss told the delegation that there was no doubt the fact that humanitarian assistance is of cardinal importance for victims of natural disasters and other forms of emergencies.
He maintained that saying that assistance has to be provided in an organised and coordinated manner geared towards building communities and the capacities of the national institutions.
According to him, “We are glad that you are here for a need assessment to support the country; we surely need the support”.
According to Sidi, IDPs in north East of Nigeria are placed about 1,188,018.
In his comment, the UNOCHA team leader, Mr. Ging, said that they were in the country purposely to show solidarity to Nigeria, understand the challenges facing the country and how the body could be of help.