Jos (Nigeria): The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has donated N26 million to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Plateau.
Dr Sintiki Ugbe, the Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the commission, presented the cheque to the state government on Monday in Jos.
Ogbe spoke at the ongoing workshop on Hunanatarian Development and Peace (HDPE) Nexus and Children Affected by Armed Conflicts in Plateau.
The workshop was organised by the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA). The two-day activity was supported by GIZ, a German organisation, and funded by the European Union.
Ugbe added that the commission had also donated food and non-food items worth N56 million to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scattered all over the state.
She explained that the intervention would provide educational materials, school fees, and nutritional food items to the IDPs.
She added that the funds would also be used to provide essential household items, quality healthcare, psychosocial support, and dignity support for the displaced children and women.
“The protracted conflicts and insecurity in Plateau have had severe humanitarian consequences on the state.
“Lives and properties have been destroyed, leading to the displacement of thousands from their homes and communities.
“Conflict leaves scars, but it also reveals the strength of a community and the power of unity.
“Today, ECOWAS steps in, not as a distant observer, but as brothers and sisters committed to healing and rebuilding by extending its humanitarian assistance to the children affected by armed conflict in Plateau,” she said.
The director added that the interventions were not just acts of isolated charity but strategic investments in peace, stability, dignity, and our shared regional development.
“ECOWAS can not address these growing humanitarian concerns without the concerted efforts of stakeholders such as the government and development partners, among others.
“Let today remind us that humanitarian work is not seasonal, it is a daily commitment; let it reaffirm our shared responsibility to protect, nurture, and empower every child affected by conflict,” she said.
Declaring the workshop open, Mr Samuel Jatau, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), thanked ECOWAS for the support to the state.
Represented by Mr Timothy Gayi, the Permanent Secretary for Policy and General Administration in the SSG’s office, Jatau stated that the rising humanitarian crisis in the state necessitated urgent attention.
Jatau, however, expressed the government’s commitment to addressing the cycle of violence in the state.
“For 24 years, Plateau has suffered different types of conflicts, from farmer-herder clashes to unprovoked attacks in communities.
“But I want to assure all of us that the government is ready to take leadership in addressing the situation,” he said.
The SSG promised that cash and items donated would be distributed in accordance with the terms of the donors.
Also speaking, Dr Julie Sanda, the Director General of PPBA, who thanked ECOWAS for the kind gesture, added that the support was part of efforts towards entrenching peace and tranquillity in the state.