High Number of IDPs in Dire Need of Assistance – CISLAC
By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has noted that despite the current successes recorded by the joint military operation in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, there still remain a high chunks of people who are in dire need of assistance.
Austine Erameh, Programme Officer, Migration and IDPs, CISLAC, made the observation on Thursday in Kaduna at a ‘One Day North West Consultation on the Draft National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in Nigeria’.
He explained that, though the numbers of IDPs has drastically reduced but there are still so many of them including the pockets of displacement occurring on daily basis like the one resulting from the Southern Kaduna crisis.
“Because of the nature of the way displacement occurs, there are issues that are beyond insurgency just like the displacement that occurs in Southern Kaduna, people fleeing violent conflicts. All of these incidences usually add up to the overall figures of displaced persons.” Erameh said.
He added that the focus of the meeting was to communicate the existence of the draft policy to the public, and to discuss the implications of the none adoption of the policy by the Nigerian government.
“The policy has been due for adoption since 2012 when it was first drafted, and ordinarily it should be up for review as at 2017, but unfortunately is yet to be adopted by the federal government.
“And CISLAC on it’s own, has decided to hold series of consultations at the zonal level to begin to get the stakeholders inputs into the draft policy which we believe very soon will be adopted by the federal government.
“What the policy does is that it brings a holistic coordination approach to intervention in the displacement sector in the country.
“Beyond the displacement in the North East, we have issues where displaced persons still living in a very very inhumane circumstances and conditions across the regions in the country.
“So we believe that the policy is a win win situation for all partners and stakeholders that have any related mandate in displacements in the country, that while today we are in the North West. Erameh noted.
