Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri have lauded the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for providing humanitarian services for the vulnerable population in Borno.

The IDPs made the commendation during an assessment tour by a team from the UNFPA headquarters in Abuja to the Muna Elbadawy camp in Maiduguri.

Zainab Modu, 38-year-old IDP from Mafa Local Government Area, commended the fund for providing comprehensive healthcare and rehabilitation to survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and supporting young girls through empowerment and skill acquisition training.

Modu acknowledged that the fund had provided dignity kits and psychosocial counselling services, as well as skills training to them at the “safe space’’ established by the UNFPA.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the “safe space” is a complete setting funded by donors, namely Norway, Canada, Denmark and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), through the UNFPA to ensure the safety and protection of women and adolescent girls.

The “safe space” serves as meeting point for women and girls to freely express themselves and share their grievances, with skills acquisition section where hands-on skills are taught such as pomade and traditional cap making, while ante natal and family planning services are also given to the women.
Anothe IDP, Salamatu Haruna, also told NAN that she lost her father while trying to escape from Boko Haram attack in Mafa before they came to the camp with her mother and siblings.