The United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday warned against any force eviction and arbitrary closure of camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the north east of Nigeria.
Edward Kallon, who is the UNDP resident representative in Nigeria, made the call at a breakfast meeting with newsmen in Abuja, where he also urge the federal government and states to ensure safe and voluntary return of the IDPs.
”I would like to urge the authorities to ensure the return of people to their homes is safe, voluntary and well-informed, based on up-to-date and accurate information on their homes of origin, and respect for people’s dignity,” he demanded.
According to him, ”we cannot force people to go back when there is nothing for them; there should be no forced return. There should be no arbitrary closure of camps without guarantees of safety, access to basic services, critical infrastructure and humanitarian assistance.”
He said he was recently in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States where he saw people scouting around with noting to eat, no basic social services, while and schools were not functioning and with healthcare centres destroyed.
He noted that these were people who were chased out of their homes and were now trying to return, but could not even reach their land because of pockets of insecurity still persistent.
Kallon expressed concern about the hardship the returnees were facing, stressing that most of the basic services and infrastructure, including electricity had been destroyed by Boko Haram guys.
”I am appealing for the application and recognition of the Kampala convention, which basically says that return should be voluntary to safe area, and with dignity,” he said.
The UNDP official also emphasized on the need for effective reintegration programmes for women, men, girls and boys previously held by Boko Haram.
Kallon said studies indicated that people who were held by Boko Haram face rejection from families and communities, noting further that infrastructure rebuilding and livelihood support needed to run in parallel with social and psychosocial reintegration programmes to effectively rebuild communities.
According to him, ”It is time to plant a seed of hope in the suffering communities – enough is enough. To make returns sustainable, recovery, reconstruction and peace building plans should be supported in areas where there is safe access.”
This is because the rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical infrastructure like schools, hospitals, government administration blocks, among others, is expected to by the UN to significantly improve the normalization of life in newly accessible areas.
This, Kallon said, should include provision of immediate employment for vulnerable, improving skills and access to longer term livelihoods opportunities, construction of permanent shelters/houses and reconstruction of key public infrastructure.
He called on the International Community to support efforts that bridge the humanitarian-development nexus, and begin to implement interventions that seek collective outcomes and localization of response.
He said the UN was working hard to strengthen partnerships with the government, improving our efficiency and making sure our interventions are effective
