Scarcely
would news events from Nigeria's northeast inspire optimism. The humanitarian
crisis in Nigeria, triggered by an armed conflict, is one of the most severe in
the world. Yet the determination by men, women and the young to battle and
survive the adversity unleashed by the long-running violence is deeply moving.
Their resolve, and over the past year, an accelerated relief assistance, are
making a positive difference in a region struck by one of the world's most
severe humanitarian emergencies.
Since the
start of the conflict in 2009, more than 20,000 people have been killed,
thousands of women and girls abducted and children used as "suicide"
bombers. This year alone more than 110 children have been used as "human
bombs" by the group known as Boko Haram, being forced to don vests or
belts packed with explosives and blow themselves up in a crowd. Attacks
on camps for internally displaced people, market places and mosques occur on a
weekly basis and spread fear among people who have already witnessed the
horrors of this conflict.
This crisis
has engulfed the north-east of Nigeria, a vast territory almost two thirds the
size of the United Kingdom. It has also spread into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad
and Niger. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced and in need of food,
water, shelter, health care and protection. A cholera outbreak in August
threatened to spiral out of control had there not been a swift reaction.
Hundreds of Nigerian refugees have been flooding back in recent months, seeking
humanitarian aid in areas that are already crammed with others who need help.
TALES OF HORROR
I have met
many families since taking up the role of deputy humanitarian coordinator one
year ago. Of the many chilling accounts of persecution at the hands of
attackers I have heard, one recounted by Alhaji is etched in my mind. I met him
at a run-down petrol station just outside Pulka, a small, and once sleepy town
near the Nigeria-Cameroon border. He was captured alongside others when a group
of armed men raided their village. The assailants went on to kill 17 of his
neighbours in front of his eyes. He miraculously managed to escape and found
his way to Pulka, now home to 20,000 displaced people.
When I met
Alhaji, 30 and father of four, he was still searching for his wife and three of
his children. While he survived, his arms are nearly paralysed from having been
viciously tied up to a tree for hours. But there he was, not just hanging on,
but actively trying to make the most of the support we can provide for him to
be reunited with his family and rebuild their lives.
SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT
Not all is
doom and gloom. There are signs that security is returning in some areas and
this is positive. Indeed, over 1.3 million people have returned home in recent
months and are trying to kick start their lives, which mainly revolve around
farming. These people still do rely on aid, for example seeds and tools, but
will eventually resume normal life.
The task
ahead remains immense with 1.6 million people still displaced and people
continuing to flee violence on a regular basis. The United Nations and
non-governmental organisations, at the request of the government of Nigeria,
are providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to the people who most need
it. In 2017, we launched an appeal of over $1 billion to do this. Today, 68 per
cent of our appeal is funded. This means we still need $350 million to protect,
feed and support millions of vulnerable people. That is a staggering
amount.
I am,
however, optimistic. Donors, including the U.K. government, have generously
supported our work and hundreds of thousands of people are receiving food, safe
drinking water, latrines, health services, vaccination campaigns, nutrition
supplements, education and much more. The massive increase in humanitarian aid
delivery this year is remarkable, and is helping to avert famine. But we need
to do more.
As the
conflict enters its ninth year, we must keep up the life-saving work. We must
keep talking about what is going on in the north-east of Nigeria, both here and
abroad, and the abhorrent atrocities that people endure. And we must continue
to hope that peace is right around the corner. That is what will bring this
humanitarian crisis to an end.
Peter
Lundberg is the United Nations deputy humanitarian coordinator in northeast
Nigeria.
Source: Thomas Reuters Foundation News
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