Humanitarian services stakeholders have called for a common framework to ensure localisation and strengthening of humanitarian response in the North East.
Speaking at an advocacy dialogue organised by Nigeria Joint Response on Humanitarian Service in Abuja yesterday, Executive Director, Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre, Prof. Patricia Donli, called for the implementation of grand bargain localisation to involve local partners in decision-making in any humanitarian response in the North East.
This, according to her, is to deliver aid in accordance with humanitarian principles.
She noted that humanitarian response in the North East was designed by international organisations, while the local non-governmental organisation was used as sub-contractors, as they have the best understanding of the context and acceptance by the people in need.
She said: “Before the coming of international organisations, there were local organisations responding to humanitarian needs in the North East. But the response wasn’t enough because there were no funds.
“At a stage, there were over 70 international organisations working in Borno State.”
Donli urged the Victims Support Fund (VSF) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to come up with a strategic plan of action to enable people to track their work and hold them accountable.
The Director of Jireh Duo Foundation, Mrs. Josephine Abba, while applauding the federal and state governments for collaborating with development partners to adequately cater for victims of disasters, solicited more support from donors to fund organisations handling humanitarian service.
The Executive Secretary, Community Health Justice, and Peace Initiative for Development (JDPH), Mrs. Juliana Shan, said her organisation had been able to train and equip 300 most vulnerable households with agricultural inputs.
