S’East accounts for 268,000 IDPs due to ecological disaster, says Kalu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said the South East geo-political zone accounts for no fewer than 268,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) due to ecological disaster.

Speaking at a Roundtable Discussion with International Non-Governmental organisations (INGOs) in a programme titled, ‘Through Their Eyes: A Call To Action, Addressing Humanitarian Challenges In The South East,’ in Abuja, yesterday, he explained that the states of Enugu, Imo, Abia, Anambra, and Ebonyi are the most affected, with many people lacking access to clean water, adequate shelter, healthcare, and education.

He added that the IDPs are spread across 158 camps and affected communities with precarious living conditions. He said shelter, in particular, remains a pressing concern, stressing that families live in makeshift camps or overcrowded host communities, exposed to health risks, insecurity and a loss of dignity.

He added that natural disasters, like gully erosion, have destroyed homes, leaving little to return, and that the crisis demands not only immediate intervention but also sustainable strategies to restore stability and hope.

Organised by the Office of the Deputy Speaker, in conjunction with the Peace In South East Project (PISE-P), the discussion is to essentially explore avenues for deeper partnerships, to engender resilience, and to deliver sustainable solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing ecological issues.

Kalu, who emphasised the need for collaborative efforts to provide immediate humanitarian relief and sustainable development solutions, called for support from international NGOs and government agencies to address the crisis.

Recognising international NGOs’ contributions, Kalu said that their work has been instrumental in addressing the challenges.

He said that his office is committed to championing legislative inputs that can be of paramount importance to the issues.

The Deputy Speaker maintained that the South East crisis is not just a regional issue, but a national challenge that requires a collective response.

In their separate remarks, the head of INGOs in Nigeria, Camilla Higgins; the Director-General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Umar Ibrahim Mohammed; the National Coordinator of National Social Investment Programme Agency; Dr. Badamasi Lawal; the Director-General of National Refugees Commission and Migrants, Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed; representatives of the Directors-General of National Directorate of Employment ( NDE) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who were overwhelmed by the degree of ecological challenges and human crisis in the South-East region arising from a video documentary, pledged their respective commitments to collaborate with the Office of the Deputy Speaker to address the menace.

They, however, appealed for increased budgetary allocation in 2025 to enable them to function optimally in their constitutional mandates.