The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); has said that 0.6
million persons and households were supported with food assistance and
cash grants to improve their livelihoods in Borno state.
According to Committee, the support followed an influx of 1.5 million
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to Maiduguri in first quarter of
2019.
In a statement Wednesday in Maiduguri, ICRC’s Communication Officer,
Umar Sadiq disclosed: “The IDPs had to leave everything behind when
they fled their homes in Borno state due to armed conflict that
claimed many lives and property.
He said the repeated displacements of IDPs made them lose their homes
and independence and continue to rely on humanitarian assistance
exclusively.
He said that the cash grants were to support livelihood projects or
engage in cash for work activities in insurgency affected communities.
“Each member of the households had to work for 20 days to earn the
cash grants,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated their situation.
While lamenting emergencies of conflict, he said: “Despite the
challenges, the livelihood support addressed changing needs and
maintained a set-up that allows a quick response to emergencies,
including the global COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, the ICRC in last March adapted its distributions to
prevent further spread of COVID-19 disease by maintaining physical
distancing, hand washing and continuous sensitization.
In March and April this year, He said over 4,400 newly displaced
people received essential household items in Monguno in March and
April, while adapting preventive measures against the virus.
He added that 163,000 individuals received seeds and farming tools to
work on their farmlands.
He said the Committee had to focus on new IDPs; who have become a
burden for host communities and camps already overstretched.
He noted that people’s access to health care remains a persistent
challenge in the state, as many health facilities have been either
damaged or destroyed during the conflict.
