The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it is supporting communities in Borno to rebuild their lives and help them establish dignified livelihood.
The ICRC Vice-President, Gilles Carbonnier said this when he visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Maiduguri and Bama.
Mr Aliyu Dawobe, Public Relations Officer ICRC, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Carbonnier said that Nigeria’s safety and access to basic needs preoccupy displaced families willingness to return home.
According to him, following the decision to close camps for internally displaced people in Maiduguri, the ICRC is closely following the situation in Borno.
He said that additional movement of population could “exacerbate vulnerabilities for thousands of families and increase humanitarian needs in the area.”
“People who fled armed clashes are extremely vulnerable. Many of them have already been displaced multiple times and have lost their belongings and livelihood.”
“Our top priority, as it has always been, is to support communities in rebuilding their lives and helping them establish dignified livelihood.”
”Some families are willing to go back to their homes, but were hindered by fear for their safety and lack of access to basic services,” he said.
Carbonnier said that ICRC was preoccupied not to be able to access all areas designated for return due to the volatile security in the region
“Together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), the ICRC remains fully committed to assisting the displaced and is now focusing on people moving from the closed camps to host communities in the greater Maiduguri area or to accessible outreach locations.”
“We provide the most vulnerable families with nutrition support for the malnourished, distribute essential items, and facilitate access to safe drinking water.”
“We also support communities with sustainable livelihood opportunities and help them trace missing family members,” he said.
He noted that all parties to the conflict must commit to protecting human life and dignity.