The Nigerian Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has flagged off the distribution of non-food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
The relief items, which include hundreds of mattresses, pillows, blankets, footwear, wrappers, and treated insecticide mosquito nets, are being distributed to over 900 households at Shwari Camp 5.
The Minister assured the IDPs that the Federal government is committed to their welfare and that they will be provided with more durable solutions to their problems.
She said that the government is working to extend the social register, conditional cash transfer, and other social intervention programs to the IDPs.
The Minister also said that the government is working to resettle the IDPs who have lost their homes and families.
She commended the state government for its efforts in providing for the IDPs and appealed to the international community for more assistance.
Background
The Boko Haram insurgency has displaced millions of people in northeast Nigeria. The IDPs are living in camps and other temporary shelters, where they face a lack of food, water, shelter, and healthcare.
The Nigerian government has been criticized for its handling of the IDP crisis. However, the government has said that it is committed to providing for the welfare of the IDPs.
The distribution of non-food items is a welcome development, but it is important to note that the IDPs need more than just relief items. They need durable solutions to their problems, such as resettlement and rehabilitation.
The international community also needs to do more to help the IDPs in Nigeria. The United Nations has called for $1.6 billion to help the IDPs in northeast Nigeria, but so far, only a fraction of this amount has been raised.
