September 6, 2021

Inspiring Action, Standing With Refugees

September 6, 2021

Inspiring Action, Standing With Refugees

Earlier this week I spent precious time #withRefugees at the UNHCR Nigeria supported UNHCR Refugees settlement communities in Ogoja, Cross Rivers State. 

My first stop was Adagom where I was cheerfully welcomed by over 67,000 mothers, men and children once forced to flee, now residing in the Refugee Resettlement Community. Followed by an insightful discussion with the Women Leaders of both the refugee and wonderfully kind Adagom host communities. Adagom is a community full of vibrance and resilience but like so many other displaced communities, burdened with a lack of resources and basic provisions in health, education, and access to gainful livelihoods. 

I am pleased that my Wellbeing Foundation Africa team, National Program Coordinator and Lead WBFA Community Midwife were on hand to deliver food boxes, dignity kits, education learning materials, and undertake our WBFA baseline needs assessment. We demonstrated our flagship MamaCare class, whilst imparting successful breastfeeding practices with the assistance of WBFA manuals and IEC material. 

There are more displaced peoples in Nigeria—over two million—than the populations of Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles and Cape Verde, combined. COVID-19 has affected such communities disproportionately, most especially the women and girls therein in need of maternal health support and timely antenatal care. We have to act fast to get these settlement communities back on track and ensure no woman, no expectant mother, no girl child is left behind. 

These numbers within the global 82 million refugees globally often fail to tell the full story of the tragic situation that has befallen so many residing in Nigeria’s North East, and Cross River, Benue, Taraba, and Akwa Ibom States.

The scale of this situation in Nigeria will be a tragedy for our people and our economy if we fail to plan, provide and act, for on their behalf. They are our own brothers and sisters for whom we have shared responsibility to support and include in our existing programmes.

That’s why I joined hands with UNHCR, UNHCR Nigeria, and UNHCR Private Sector Partnerships who support such vulnerable communities across the continent and the world by protecting and empowering displace men, women, and youth and to promote social inclusion and foster good relationships with their local communities. 

The time is now to convene and inspire others towards action. I echo the words of the UN High Commissioner For Refugees that “solutions require global leaders and those with influence to put aside their differences, end an egoistic approach to politics, and instead focus on preventing and solving conflict and ensuring respect for human rights”.The biggest achievement derived from the 1951 Geneva Convention itself, is that many of the challenges faced by IDP and Refugees are now categorised as international problems. In the same vein, individuals must remain exactly that – individuals; affording them a truly localised and personal approach to reintegration and community-level support.

In doing so, we manage traumas correctly, minimise further displacement and ensure that all policies and societal practices reflect each citizen – by birth, heritage or displacement – right up until the last mile.

I am encouraged by the learnings that private sector philanthropies and civil society can contribute in this journey, through collaborative efforts, to rethink and re-imagine the possibilities of donorship and of timely life-saving interventions for the millions of refugees and we must remember: no one is truly safe until everyone is safe. 

I am pleased to join UNHCR, partnering to ensure all refugees and displaced people have access to their basic human rights and dignities.

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