United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has gone into partnership with the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, a faith-based organisation in Nigeria, to galvanise support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria.
Currently, there are over 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria which cut across different regions of northeast, northwest, and north- central.
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A statement by Hajiya Habiba Ahmed and Amina Rai of UNHCR, said the duo intends to mobilise support from Nigeria’s Muslim community and galvanise the spirit of Islamic philanthropy as a tool to support these most vulnerable populations in the country.
Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society will organise fundraising activities to mobilise resources till June 2024.
The statement quoted the National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, saying, “This partnership with UNHCR is an expansion of the work Al-Habibiyyah is doing to support the less privileged in society.
“In Ramadan, we feed at least 2,000 people every day with our food bank programme in Abuja. Moreover, we have over 20 years of experience in fundraising as evident in our annual distribution of Zakat,” he said.
According to the statement, the perennial farmers-herders clashes in the north central as well as the banditry and kidnappings in the northwest have added to the displacement emergency in the northeast caused by non-state-armed groups.
The imam stated that these displaced communities are in dire need of support for basic amenities such as shelter, health, education, access to clean water, and protection from sexual violence.
“UNHCR has been at the forefront, responding to the needs of these IDPs, but the increasing number of displaced persons in Nigeria has exacerbated resources.
“Al-Habibbiyyah collaborates with fellow Muslims, Islamic organizations, and other reputable impact-making organizations whose vision & mandate matches theirs to deliver interventions that promote the well-being of the people and human dignity,” the statement concluded.
In line with its global mandate, UNHCR in Nigeria works to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers, refugee returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless men, women and children.