The Director-General, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Mr William Swing, says the organisation will host a humanitarian conference on the North-East in Oslo, Norway, on Feb.24.

Swing made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, February 22.

He said that‎ the conference would be co-hosted by Nigeria, Germany, Norway and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“The purpose of the conference is to mobilise resources and support for the humanitarian needs of the North-East in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region,” he said.

‎He described the ‎Lake Chad Region as one of the fastest growing displacement crises in the region.

“‎The world largely overlooked the crisis coursing through north-eastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region in 2016.

‘‘Violent conflicts and human sufferings have marked Nigeria and parts of Niger, Chad and Cameroon for the better part of a decade.

‘‘Boko Haram raids and suicide bombings targeting civilian populations, have destroyed vital infrastructure, threatening entire economies and preventing people from earning their livelihoods,” he said.

He said that the ‎conference would focus on three thematic areas of food security, protection and access as well as  education in emergencies.

(Source: NAN)