By Giwa SHILE
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Mr Achim Steiner and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr Mark Lowcock will visit Nigeria and Chad on a mission to highlight and support joint humanitarian and development efforts in these countries.
UNDP Communications Specialist, Mr Lucky Musonda, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the UN joint mission would visit Nigeria between Oct. 5 and Oct. 6; and Chad between Oct. 6 and Oct. 7.
“The joint mission comes after the High-Level Conference on the Lake Chad Region held in September in Berlin.
“Lowcock and Steiner will discuss with partners and governments how to translate commitments made during the conference into practical action on the ground.
“In Nigeria, the duo officials will meet with high-level government officials and representatives of the humanitarian, development and donor communities.
“They will travel to Borno on Oct. 6, and visit a site for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), a transition centre and a rebuilt community,” he said.
He said the humanitarian and development partners were linking up efforts to respond to the devastating consequences of the ongoing violence in Northeast Nigeria while seeking to promote durable solutions for affected communities.
He noted that the humanitarian crisis in Northeast Nigeria had spread across the Lake Chad region and remains severe with 7.7 million people in urgent need of assistance.
According to him, UN has stepped up coordination to improve resilience and self-reliance of local communities through the restoration of basic services such as water and electricity.
He said the world body had also embarked on the rehabilitation of schools and hospitals and emergency jobs programmes.
In Chad, the two UN principals according to him are expected to meet President Idris Déby, senior government officials as well as humanitarian and development partners.
“They will visit a nutrition centre in N’Djamena on Oct 7, where international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and UN agencies are treating children with malnutrition amid one of the worst nutrition crises the country has ever experienced.
“The joint mission will provide a unique opportunity to assess UN coordination on the ground, to mobilise resources to address longer-term needs, and seek further commitments from government and partners,” he said.
