Chairman of Gombe state Internally Displaced Persons Abba Jatau, on Tuesday said over 2,226 migrated from troubled Katsina to Gombe IDP settlement.
Jatau revealed this in his address to a United Nation Delegation to Wuro shie, an IDP settlement in the Gombe.
He noted that prior to yesterday, Monday September 7 2020 the total population of IDP’s in the state was 38,793.
According to him, they have suffered a lot of neglect, amidst scarce amenities.
“Some people have joined us from from Katsina due to the security challenges, we are now 41,019. We don’t have a source of livelihoods, we have rents to pay. Insurgency and unrest has been the cause for the resettling of internally displaced persons in the state. 80% of our children are out of school and we no longer enjoy free medical services,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency, Rescue and Rehabilitation Officer, Mohammed Garuba, said based on the IOM Post Transnational modification database as at May 2020 stands at 38,793, adding that IDP’s in the state are suffering.
He added that the internally displaced persons in Gombe reside within the host community, saying that most of the humanitarian support goes to Borno, Yobe or Adamawa states.
He said, “IOM PTM stands at 38,793 as at May 2020. As of now we don’t have official or unofficial camp in the state. The IDPs spread across communities and some of their host communities are in need of humanitarian assistance considering the economic downturn especially in this period of covid-19.
“The IDP’s have suffered a lot of deprivation the present conditions have made them vulnerable to diseases because there is no visible source of livelihoods, you can imagine the difficulties in the past 7 years. In the past UNFPA, UNDP, food and agricultural organization and UNHCR have assisted in various ways. Access to food due to the lack of livelihood is a Herculean task. Most of the humanitarian actors either go to Borno, Yobe or Adamawa states because we don’t have a camp here, getting humanitarian assistance is difficult.”
On his part, the Deputy Governor, Manassah Jatau said Gombe IDP is with a difference .
He added, “By the way we are staying with our IDP’s they are staying with us, we have integrated them into our community. We don’t have a specific camp, we are mingling with them to enable them adjust to their normal lives. We know the psychological effect of terrorism.we are not having increase in population but a surge in population, all our facilities are overstretched.”
Also Speaking, The United Nations Resident, Humanitarian Coordinator Edward Kallon said over 10.6million people require assistance in the epicentre of the crisis.
“Over 10.6 million need humanitarian assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. We are struggling with covid-19 pandemic all over the world to mobilize a billion dollars to be able to provide humanitarian assistance to this people. It has not been an easy moment for us as United Nations,” he said.
Kallon added that the only solution to the challenge in the epicentre states is peace, noting that there is no other solution.
He said, “With peace this people can return to their land, and they can leave a life that they deserve.”
