NGOs seek coordination to strengthen humanitarian response in Northeast

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) rendering humanitarian services in the Northeast have called for a common framework to ensure localisation and strengthen altruistic responses to victims’ needs.

Speaking at an advocacy dialogue organised by Nigeria Joint Response on Humanitarian Service in Abuja, Executive Director, Gender Equality Peace and Development Centre, Prof. Patricia Donli sought implementation of grand bargain localisation to ensure that national and local partners were involved in decision-making processes in any humanitarian response in the Northeast and deliver assistance in accordance with principles.

She said humanitarian responses were designed by the international organisations, while local NGOs were used as sub-contractors, despite the fact that they “have the best understanding of the context and acceptance by the people in need of assistance and protection.”

She said: “We need to come up with a common framework on how to achieve localisation. Nigerian government needs to show the political will in tackling the humanitarian needs in the Northeast without depending on donors and foreign governments…”

She urged the Victims Support Fund and the Northeast Development Commission to come up with a strategic plan of action to enable people track what they do and hold them to account.

The DirectorM Jireh Duo Foundation, Mrs. Josephine Abba, applauded the Federal and some state governments for collaborating with development partners to ensure disaster victims were adequately catered for.

She solicited more supports from donors to fund local groups handling humanitarian service.

The Executive Secretary, Community Health Justice and Peace Initiative for Development (JDPH), Mrs. Juliana Shan said the organisation had been able to train and equip 300 most Vulnerable households (M278) and (F22) with agricultural inputs for the cultivation of kitchen garden.

“We have reached 1,541 households (10,787 individuals) through food distribution, provided WASH NFIs to 500 female IDPs with children zero-five years, constructed 12 latrines in six communities of Southern Borno, while 15 hand pump boreholes were repaired,” she said.