Nigeria’s Presidency has announced the massive distribution of food items and medical facilities to various Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) Camps in Nigerians in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSA-P) on IDPs in the Vice President’s Office, Dr. Mariam Masha said that the Federal Government through NEMA has distributed thousands of bags of essential food and non-food items to Nigerians in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The list of food items distributed to the camps in the three countries include amongst others:

12, 332 bags of parboiled rice/rice;

6, 084 bags of maize;

6,156 bags of millet;

5,180 bags of granulated sugar;

2,000 bags of salt (25kg);

800 bags of semolina;

4,016 bags of beans;

9,800 cartoons of Indomine noodles;

1,800 cartoons of powdered milk;

800 cartoons of spaghetti;

2,000 vegetable oil (20 litres);

2,180 cartoons of Omo detergents;

600 kegs of palm oil and

400 cartoons of 3-in-1 tea

The monthly report for August indicated that non-food items supplied to the camps in the three countries from 2015 to date include medical and non-medical supplies such as antibiotics, antifungal, anti-malaria, Anthelmintic, NSAID, non-SAID Analgesics, Antitussives and Antithasmine drugs.

There were also eye drops, anti-diabetic drugs, Antacid drugs, multivitamin, laboratory consumables, blankets, mattresses, mosquito nets, men’s and women’s wears.

In Minawao, Cameroon alone, 48,400 bags and cartoons of non-food items like medium and small mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets, blankets, towels, guinea brocade, nylon mats, plastic plates, cups, spoons and buckets, Omo detergents, washing soaps, bathroom slippers, pampers as well as exercise books pencils and textbooks were distributed to IDPs.

In the report titled Monthly Report of Federal Government Actions in the North East States Affected by Boko Haram, Dr. Mariam Masha, said that the National Humanitarian Coordination Forum (NHCF) is effectively addressing the welfare of IDPs in these areas.

The Forum, partnering with critical stakeholders, establishes important intervention mechanisms to check and mitigate the incidence and negative effects of flooding on the IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Bauchi States.

NHCF humanitarian interventions covers areas such as health, nutrition, food security, water, education, protection, sanitation and hygiene across the States affected by insurgency in the North East region.

The report showed that the Federal Government through the bold initiative of the military has constructed a temporary school for IDPs in the Bama camp and deployed teachers for a population of over 3,000 children.

The military also provided solar boreholes in Dikwa, Gamboru, Monguno, Marte, Mafe Gwoa, Buni Yadi, Bulla, Allargano and in several other communities in Borno State.

The scale of humanitarian efforts by the military also cover road construction and reconstruction, donation of educational materials to schools as well as rehabilitation of worship centres and markets in Adamawa and Yobe States.

The report also noted that the military through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has formed a working group which is to develop a policy framework and national action plan in preventing and countering violent extremism

Commending the commitment of the UN System for its various humanitarian and policy initiatives, Dr. Masha noted that the World Bank organised a workshop towards developing a strategic plan which will assist the Federal Government to effectively articulate and implement its programmes for the North East.

Also, the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Health are to collaborate with the military and civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to vaccinate children in all accessible LGAs in Borno State in support of government’s Polio Response Plan.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), according to the report,  relocated a total of 23,391 IDPs from schools that were initially used as camps to new sites in Bakassi and Dalori IDP camps in Maiduguri. Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Education provided emergency classroom supplies for learners in Borno State communities such as Konduga (675), Bama (2500), Dikwa (500), Damboa (500) and Monguno (500).

The report which noted the interventions by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE), showed that displaced persons also received from PINE, various food items ( rice, millet, guinea corn, maize, iodized salt, vegetable oil and Indomie noodles) were distributed to the six (6) frontline States as follows:

Items(Qty)                     Borno          Yobe          Adamawa   

Rice                 –              3,900         3,600            900

Millet              –               700              600              300

Guinea corn   –               700              600              300

Iodized Salt    –               800              600              600

Vegetable oil –               250              200               200

Indomie N.    –              1,100          1000               500

Items(Qty)           Bauchi        Gombe       Taraba

Rice            –          900            900               900

Millet         –            300            300               300

Guinea corn           300            300               300

Iodized Salt    –       600            600               600

Vegetable oil –        200            200               200

Indomie N.    –        500            500                500

In Michika LGA, 1,780 IDP households benefited from package consisting of food and non-food items and 2,000 bags of 25kg rice for IDPs were supplied to Gujiba and Gulani towns all in Adamawa State.

As for Gombe, several bags of food were supplied to the State for the Operation Safe Corridor in the reporting period as follows:

Food Items (Qty)                             Non-food Items (Qty)

Rice (25kg) bags        –       450              Mattresses          –        800

Beans (5kg) bags         –      400             Blankets              –        500

Maize grits (25kg)        –        400            Nylon mats           –       500

Millet (25kg) bags        –        200            Plastic buckets     –       1,000

Sorghum (25kg)           –        200            Plastic spoons      –       1,000

Spaghetti                     –        750            Plastic cups          –       1,000

Maggi                          –        50              Plastic plates       –        1,000

Tin tomatoes               –        810            Plastic slippers      –       1,000

Vegetable oil (kegs)    –        102             Men’s wears          –        2,000

Palm oil                        –        102           Bath soaps           –        63

Salt                               –        50             Bath towels         –        1,000

Sugar                             –        50

Milk                               –        460

Milo                               –        460

It would be recalled that Operation Safe Corridor (OSC) is a programme set up by the Federal Government in its bid to war against insurgency in the North East. The objective of the programme is equally to enhance government efforts to rehabilitate and re-integrate surrendered and repentant terrorist members in the region. [myad]