Nigeria’s displaced persons hit 743,062 in September 2014

 
The National Emergency Management Agency on Thursday said it has recorded about 743,062 persons that are internally displaced by conflicts and natural disasters in various parts of the country
The Director-General, NEMA, Mr. Sani Sidi, disclosed this in Calabar at the opening of the annual consultative meeting of the agency with the heads of States Emergency Management Agencies.
Sidi, in a statement from NEMA, explained that 676,975 of the affected persons were displaced by conflicts and 66,087 by natural disasters as at September 2014.
He said, “Disaster occurrences and the number of affected people have risen significantly in recent years as a result of the impact of climate change, insurgency, communal conflicts and skirmishes between farmers and pastoralists amongst others. This has no doubt impacted negatively in the area of our development as a nation aside the humanitarian crisis attendant thereto.”
Sidi called for urgent collective action by stakeholders to complement the steps taken by the Federal Government, adding that the government had been providing necessary assistance to the affected persons through the NEMA.
He said, “The challenges faced by displaced persons call for serious commitment. NEMA will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that the distressed persons are properly taken cared of. We will continue to do this as it constitutes our primary responsibility to our citizens.”
On the consultative meeting, the DG said it was designed to appraise the available structures, facilities, challenges and prospects for efficient and effective disaster management in the country.
The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Effiok Cobham, who represented the state governor, appreciated the role of NEMA in the improvement of disaster management in the country.
He urged the participants to identify and advise government on measures that focus on disaster prediction and prevention.