WEF, UN suspend food distributions in IDP camps over attacks

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the latest to join other International Aid Workers to suspend food distribution to internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Gubio camp in Miduguri due to incessant attack on the aid workers by the displaced persons.

WFP is not the first humanitarian organisation to suspend food distribution in the Gubio camp as the United Nations had suspended activities twice in the past one year, first in July 2016 and another in August 2017, after attacks on aid workers.

Angry and hungry IDPs had attacked the humanitarian workers of the International Medical Corp, an international NGO, over food ration choices, injuring many people and destroying five sport utility vehicles belonging to the NGO.
NAN reports that in an electronic message sent yesterday by WFP Communication officer in the Maiduguri field office, Mr. Adedeji Ademigbuji, the global humanitarian agency said the suspension was as a result of security threats.
According to him, “Unidentified men attacked staff of the International Medical Corps (IMC) at Gubio IDP camp in Maiduguri. IMC is a client to WFP.”

“IMC staff were at the camp for routine food distribution exercise. A staff member of IMC and two IDPs were wounded while five vehicles were vandalised in the attack.

“The IDPs were said to be protesting against distribution of sorghum and demanded that rice should be provided to them.

“All activities in the camp have been suspended until safety of humanitarian workers is guaranteed” he said.

Ademiguji however said that security forces have arrested six suspects in connection with the attack.

Meanwhile, Satomi Ahmad, chairman, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who confirmed the incident, described it as “unfortunate”, adding that the suspension was a temporary measure, to enable the agency to come up with effective security arrangements.

Satomi said, “The Gubio incident is not an issue of insufficient food but a breach of communication, based on complaints by the IDPs over their choices of rice over sorghum while others preferred sorghum over rice.”

“So in the process, there was a delay for about one week while we were trying to sort things out and then an issue came up that if they are taking sorghum, the ration has to be increased.

“All these should not give them room to attack humanitarian workers, this is unacceptable and we are working with the security agencies to arrive at a common ground so that the distribution will continue.
“We are working to ensure that the suspension end within the next 48 hours. Other organisations have continued with humanitarian services in the affected camp,” he said.
The SEMA Chairman further disclosed that the military is making efforts to reduced the number of IDPs living in camps in Maiduguri in the last few weeks from 158,000 to 147,000.

The Gubio Road IDP camp is home to displaced persons from 11 local governments of the state, and one of the 13 government recognised IDP camps in Maiduguri.

One of the IDPs, Ibrahim Abubakar, explained the reasons for the protest during an interview with Channels Television.

Abubakar said, “We were angry with these people (humanitarian workers) not because of the sorghum they gave us, but because we simply asked for a quantity that would adequately feed us and our families.”

“Two bowls cannot sustain us for a whole month, no one can survive on two bowls of sorghum for a whole month; that is our problem. But if they bring food that would sustain us up to a month we would be happy.”

Another displaced person, Maimuna Kassum, said, “The protest was done because of the delay in food distribution and when they finally came, they didn’t bring enough. That was why people protested.”

“In the past, they used to give us rice but this time around they brought sorghum; two bowls for every family for the next one month.

“It won’t be enough since we have children and that’s why people got impatient and did what they did. With this kind of problems, returning home would have been better for us, it’s just that we don’t have a home when we return,” she lamented.

Earlier, the UNHCR had stated that the needs of the affected population living in IPD camps can never be satisfied through humanitarian means.

The UNHCR’s Representative to Nigeria/ ECOWAS, Antonio Canhandula, who addressed a gathering in Borno State last week, said the only viable solution was to work towards returning the IDPs home.

“We can never have enough for the IDPs. We are talking about hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people who are in need and you cannot continue assisting these populations in a humanitarian form forever.

“You also have other humanitarian responsibilities around the world and there is competition for resources and then the best thing is to help the government to create conditions for people to return home. It will never be enough,” Canhandula said.

However, efforts were made to reach the Head of Media, Presidential Committee on North East Initiatives (PCNI) Mr Alkassin but he did not pick his calls and could not reply to our text message at press time.

Myke Uzendu, Oluchi Okoroafor, Abuja