By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
The Danish Refugee Council, an International support donor agency has urged all hands to be on deck as it takes steps to declare commitment to driving more support and result oriented advocacy to improve and change IDPs situation in Sokoto and Zamfara states, Northwest , Nigeria.
The donor agency is operating and providing intervention and support services in thematic areas across 40 countries of the world.
It focuses more on economic recovery, protection , shelter , settlement , peace building and humanitarian support among other critical human needs in times of displacements.
Speaking at a workshop in Sokoto, it Coordinator, Samson Peter Ayok said DRC observed with passion that Northwest Nigeria has suffered lack of attention amidst the growing number of IDPs as a result of insecurity and other natural occurrences hence displacing lot of inhabitants and households.
” We are focusing on Sokoto and Zamfara states to offer rapid response to situations of displacements.
” We are building on our approach strategy by encouraging better partnership that will further drive our objectives for success”, he explained.
Ayok said DRC was operating in the two regions of Northeast and Northwest across four states; Adamawa, Borno, Sokoto and Zamfara states with the vision and mission to promoting dignified life for all displaced refugees.
” We equally assist and protect them from harm and safeguarding their legal rights as well empowering them towards better future”,
He however , disclosed that the Council was pushing to encourage synergy with other socio , economic, religious and cultural organs as CSOs, the media, opinion and community leaders to adequately respond to displacement situations in Zamfara and Sokoto states respectively within the one year project.
This, he explained, was aimed at further providing the space to appreciably localise all strategies as well work with other critical national organisations ( NGOs) to strengthen capacity for adequate response to situations.
” This will assist in speedy identification of crisis situations ,locations and affected victims or persons for quick implementation of designed package as intervention”, he stressed.
The Coordinator commended the strategic role and efforts of the Sokoto state government reaching out to various donor agencies for support to vulnerable displaced persons across the state.
Also, in his remarks, Executive Director , ASATTAHIR Foundation International , Professor Tanko Yahaya Baba said the foundation had since inception in 2011, positioned it activities on IDPs in health, food and nutrition projects by providing emergency interventions especially at informal centres for displaced persons in Zamfara. And Sokoto states.
” We are working basically on general system strategy and capacity building to reach out to crisis locations with intervention”, he said.
According to Baba , the foundation has provided intervention support across the two states. We visited Kauran Namoda , Bodinga, Tangaza , Binji and in some areas in Sokoto ( Ramin Kura). All these are informal IDP centres.
” We supported over 2,000 vulnerable displaced households. You can only do this with comprehensive information and data collection”, he observed.
He noted that government alone cannot accomplish the task of executing it’s programmes without the support of NGOs and other key players.
Although, Professor Baba who noted that there were no formal IDP centres, also observed that most of the locations housing IDPs had no basic social facilities and were not officially designated and had attendant explosive magnitude of displaced persons.
