10m women, children need assistance in North-east – Dr Olatunbosun-Alakija

You visited Borno State in December alongside global humanitarian directors from the United Nations. What was your mission in the North-east? I visited Gwoza and Bama to see first-hand, the conditions and participate in the distribution of specialised foods for malnourished children. My previous field experience in Borno was at Dikwa as the humanitarian crises […]

You visited Borno State in December alongside global humanitarian directors from the United Nations. What was your mission in the North-east?

I visited Gwoza and Bama to see first-hand, the conditions and participate in the distribution of specialised foods for malnourished children. My previous field experience in Borno was at Dikwa as the humanitarian crises were emerging. That was an extremely depressing visit, as the scale of the problem seemed nearly insurmountable in May last year. So this current trip to Gwoza and Bama demonstrated hope and showed how quickly things can be turned around given high level political will and commitment shown within that state at federal level, and by international actors.

Significant scale up in humanitarian aid delivery has been achieved since the mission. 

 What is the impact of the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) which you currently lead, and why was it necessary to have that 24/7 coordination unit established?

I would say that the ECC has proven itself to be the most critical enabler towards the humanitarian response in Nigeria. Early in October, within a 72-hour time frame we established and operated a 24-hour Emergency Coordination Centre which is supported by the USAID and OFDA. This information-sharing and collaborative space was necessary as it has allowed over 2000 humanitarian stakeholders to meet and work towards concerted and rapid solution to the crises in the North-east.

The ECC team facilitated the Humanitarian Needs Overview/Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria. This HRP was recently launched at the UN headquarters in Geneva. The HNO/HRP process has set the foundation for both Nigerian and humanitarian actors with regards to scaling up of life saving activities in the North-east. 

What is your assessment of the current humanitarian situation in the North-east, Borno State in particular?

 We have data that supports the fact that in the six North-east states, there are currently 14 million people in need of assistance due to this crisis. Of those, over 70 percent are women and children. Of that number, approximately 2.5 million are IDPs. So you will see that this is not just an IDP crisis, but a wider humanitarian crisis.

All aspects of life are affected, from food security to economic livelihoods. Whole communities have been destroyed, and that process of restoring dignity to a very proud and dignified people will last far beyond the immediate humanitarian phase of the crisis. 

The focus for now however, is on five main thematic areas which include food security, protection, health and nutrition, response and recovery planning to include economic and cultural livelihoods. The scope is much wider than our general understanding of delivery of bags of rice. Rice is not the answer. There are also critical enablers to this process, logistics and security being key. 

The Nigerian military have done an astounding job, both in routing out the enemy and also in playing an unusual role as de facto humanitarian actors in difficult to access locations, where they have set up emergency schools, field hospitals and provided for the needy.

There is no questioning that Borno State is the epicentre of this crisis. Anyone who has ever driven the length and breadth of the state will see that there are communities that have been completely levelled and destroyed. However, to date the state authorities have done a tremendous job to the best of their ability in restoring normalcy where possible, and in rebuilding Borno.

The current humanitarian situation in Nigeria is complex, and in sheer numbers is comparable to those in need in Syria, but we have received far less global attention and even less funding support. The recent coordination mechanisms put in place have ensured now that the voices of our children and our people are being heard on an international stage, because social justice for one is social justice for all.

We recently saw the arrival of three A330 cargo planes, carrying over a 100 metric tons of humanitarian relief, containing humanitarian hubs from Sweden, which will be stationed in strategic places in the North-east (Gwoza, Bama, Dikwa, Banki, Biu, Monguno, Damboa and Gamboru Ngala) to facilitate more efficient delivery of relief materials to millions of affected individuals in the region.

How would you enumerate the humanitarian response from the federal government and international partners in 2016, bearing in mind, your coordinating role?

In the last three months since the establishment of the ECC we have seen significant progress, an over fivefold increase in numbers of people reached, with food and medical interventions. A rapid response mechanism (RRM) has been set up, with multi-agency partnerships taking food, medicines and planned agricultural interventions to communities at the same time. There is innovation, but most of all there is great compassion and speedy response has been deployed.

We have been able to bring in three cargo planes of humanitarian relief directly into Maiduguri for immediate deployment into the field. Food distribution has gone up from 165,000 when we began this project in September, to 1.01 million in December, with a projected 1.8 million for the month of January. 

It has been noted internationally that there has never been a scale up of this magnitude achieved within such a short time frame. Yes, we were all slow in coming to the table, but now that we’re here, we are confident that this humanitarian crisis can be arrested, and prevented from becoming a chronic humanitarian crisis. We have developed a humanitarian response plan for Nigeria, both for the international community and a mirror image plan has been created for Nigeria.

There are allegations that humanitarian partners and UN agencies have either been misapplying resources meant for humanitarian response and are more interested in their welfare in terms of buying AV’s and renting houses at exorbitant costs in Maiduguri? What is your take?

Those allegations stem from a place of misunderstanding and mis-communication. With regards to the issue of exorbitant rents, it really is simple economics and down to supply and demand. If there is anyone who is benefiting from that it would be we as Nigerians, who are paid exorbitant rents on a limited supply of housing. Therefore, you could say the economy is being boosted. 

It is important to understand that ultimately Nigeria benefits, as resources brought in on humanitarian missions are not permitted to be removed from the country. In the short term, there are certain international safety rules and regulations that agencies must comply with in order to deliver aid and provide assistance when needed. Without complying with these basic international standards, they will be unable to operate in Nigeria. In addition, we do not want a situation where aid workers are being attacked or killed within our territory so it is in all our interests that they are protected, by whatever means necessary. 

The current reality is that from the 1st to the 30th of December, approximately 1.01 million people have been provided with food rations in Borno and Yobe states. It is the ability to travel in helicopters and AV’s and to be based in properties no matter how expensive within Maiduguri that has enabled this scale up. I guess you would call it the cost of doing business. 

 What of the allegations of gross diversion of foods meant for IDPs by Nigerian states officials?

I’m not really qualified to speak to allegations of diversions of food, but it is important to note that that is what they are, allegations. What I do know is that there has been a concerted effort by the Borno State governor to ensure that his people are fed, and that gaps in food pipeline are identified and closed. 

I personally joined him and his SEMA team in distributing food to those in some of the most remote and difficult to reach areas of the state. Part of my current role is ensuring a coordinated response between federal and state levels, working from a 37,000-foot perspective, and looking holistically at issues of bottlenecks and process delays, which are some of the things that have resulted in perceived diversions.