4.4 million people are at the risk of food insecurity in North Eastern , Nigeria; IOM
Mnena Iyorkegh, Abuja.
Over 4.4 million people are at the risk of food insecurity cause by insurgency attack in North Eastern , Nigeria, if proactive measures are not taken.
The Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration, IOM in Nigeria, Mr. Franz Celestin made this known during a breakfast meeting with journalists in Abuja.
Civil conflicts is one of the leading causes of food insecurity, resulting to large-scale displacement, stalled food production, loss of livelihoods and increased food prices in Nigeria and neighbouring Lake Chad basin countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger
In view of this , Mr. Franz emphasised the need for proactive measures to be taken in order to address food insecurity that would affect 4.4 million people in the North Eastern region of Nigeria.
“There are five UN Agencies on the issue of food insecurity plus a number of NGOs, IOM is part of the task force on food insecurity. It takes a coordinated approach to addressing the issue of food insecurity. You may have seen that there are 4.4 million people at risk of what we called food insecurity and this is the highest that we have seen since march 2017, all of this is why the G7 countries step in the manner they did; and that’s why there is a coordinated approach by the UN system and by the humanitarian community. There are a lot of us working on it”. He reiterated
The Chief of Mission revealed that recent statistics, thousands of migrants have died on journeys through the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Mr. Celestin irregular migration to Europe and other parts of the world through the Mediterranean Sea remained deadly.Adding that trafficking of human beings within the West African Region was an illegal enterprise worth 150 billion dollars.
He however, called for concerted efforts by ECOWAS member States to curtail the tide of irregular migration.
“Mali for some reason is the number one destination in West Africa for Nigerian women who are trafficked especially as sex workers for gold mine. What is required to stemming this is a coordinated response by all members of ECOWAS, and what is called a proper guidance by the ECOWAS at the right level so that we can effectively address this network and disrupt their criminal activities .There is a lot to do, this through coordinated efforts, bilateral relations, sharing of information is extremely important in stemming the flow of people using other people as commodity. Trafficking of human beings is 150 billion US Dollars a year enterprise. Trafficking in person is provides a high yield and low risk to these traffickers, so naturally they will continue doing it, until we make it very difficult for them to do. And this requires a whole societal approach, a coordinated approach by putting the necessary mechanism together to stem the menace” Mr. Celestin said
According to IOM, thousands of migrants have made it to the shoal , 760 have died in the process, thousands are in detention and thousands caught and returned by the Libyan coast guide.
In collaboration with federal government agencies and other countries, the IOM, has facilitated the return of thousands of Nigerian migrants and their reintegration in to communities
IOM is one of the organizations providing support to IDPs in the North East, and also assistance in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and humanitarian assistance to migrants in need,
It is also one of the largest providers of shelters, water and Sanitation as well as internally Displace Persons IDP camps management in the area.
