North-East: UN restates commitment to address humanitarian crisis

Mrs Amina Mohammed, the United Nations, Deputy Secretary-General, on Thursday reiterated the UN commitment to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North- East.

Mohammed gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to Gov. Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri.

She said that the visit was to appraise performance of the government, UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations, with a view to addressing gaps and challenges.

“Our visit to Bama is to see what the government of Nigeria achieved with the support from the UN in the past years. What are the challenges and the way forward?

Mohammed said that the visit would also avail her with the opportunity to interact with personnel in the frontline, humanitarian workers, the military and displaced persons in camps.

This, she added, would enable the UN to understand the situation and address the challenges in order to save more lives as well as facilitate resettlement of displaced persons back to their communities.

The UN deputy secretary-general commended the Borno Government over the feat achieved toward the rehabilitation and reconstruction of communities ravaged by the insurgents.

“The fund raised at the Oslo conference for the North-East is properly utilised, we have seen the benefit of it. And we look forward for another opportunity to bring more funds to Borno”.

Shettima commended the UN for its humanitarian interventions to support persons affected by the crisis in the region.

He noted that the UN deputy secretary had identified herself and showed concern to plight of people of the state.

“While a minister in Nigeria, she showed the strongest empathy toward us in Borno.

“She visited Chibok over the abduction of the school girls. She also visited Bama, when the town was liberated from the insurgents,” the governor said.