From Magnus Eze, Abuja
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has charged other African missions in Nigeria, to emulate Ghana by supporting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
Deputy Representative of UNHCR in Nigeria, Brigitte Eno gave the charge while speaking at the donation of relief materials to IDPs at the Area 1, Durumi Abuja camp, by the Ghana High Commission as part of activities marking the country’s 60th Independence Anniversary.
“Most of the times, we receive donations from European countries and other international communities; but we don’t see much from African countries. So, when I got the message from Ghana that they wanted to come and do this; I said I must come to accompany our Ghanaian brothers and sisters,” she stated.
Eno explained that the agency had not done much for IDP camps within the Federal Capital Territory because of government’s policy of not recognising such camps. She, however, said the inmates also deserve equal attention as their counterparts in the northeast.
“You did not see much of us here because of the government policy that they didn’t want any camp around Abuja; and any attention to the camps around Abuja would lead to some issues with the government. But, we have to accept that people are here and they are equally displaced like those in the Northeast. So, there is need for attention; need for solution just like those in the northeast,” she said.