UN Mission to Maiduguri seeks support for communities ravaged by insurgency

A United Nations mission to Bama, Maiduguri in Northeast Nigeria, has stressed the need for sustained support for communities ravaged by insurgency in the region.

Made up of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão, the SRSG for the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Mr. Abdou Abarry, and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed M. Fall, the team visited Bama a day before the kick-off of the fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilization, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Development, now underway in Maiduguri.

According to a communiqué from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the high-level officials highlighted the steady progress made in Bama, including joint Government, UN, and partner efforts to provide internally displaced persons (IDPs) with humanitarian assistance and livelihood support, as well as initiatives enhancing social cohesion and reintegration through social and economic activities.

“They also noted the challenges that remain, including violence, the threat posed by the climate crisis, and inadequate basic services.”
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, said, “I returned to Bama today, eight years since my last visit – which was a few months after it was liberated from the insurgency.

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“A lot has changed since then, with marked improvement in the lives of people affected by the crisis. While there is still work to be done to address insecurity and its impact on civilians, I thank the Borno State authorities, donors, UN agencies, and partners for their commitment and dedication through this journey that has made Bama what it is today. I also call for sustained support to address the remaining challenges.”

He noted that Bama town remains vulnerable to attacks by non-state armed groups due to its proximity to the Sambisa Forest.

“Bama illustrates the situation of many communities across the Lake Chad Basin impacted by 16 years of conflict in the region.

“This has made it difficult for communities to carry out livelihood activities, including farming, fishing, and firewood collection. This has increased their dependence on humanitarian assistance.”

The officials visited a centre equipping young girls and boys with livelihood skills, run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UNICEF-run social cohesion project at the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) camp, and a nutrition centre supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), where malnourished children are receiving treatment. They also spoke with women and adolescent girls at a Safe Space centre, met with representatives of humanitarian agencies in Bama, and paid a courtesy call on the Shehu of Bama, Dr. Umar El-kanemi, the communiqué says.