The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has allocated $9 million to aid refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless individuals in its member nations. Nigeria received $1 million from this fund to assist terrorism victims in the North East.
The allocation was announced during the 2024 ECOWAS Ambassadors Retreat held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The retreat focused on “Enhancing Protection for Refugees, IDPs, and Stateless Persons in West Africa and Finding Solutions to Forced Displacements.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, emphasized the importance of collective efforts in achieving common objectives and noted that contributions from partners are crucial for the success of various projects.
A Cameroonian refugee representing refugees in South-South Nigeria, Ehini Vera Mwuese, highlighted the challenges faced by refugees, including incidents of teenage pregnancy resulting from hunger and exploitation.
The retreat concluded with a communiqué outlining several decisions, including
ECOWAS and UNHCR to organize a joint field assessment of refugee and IDP camps in the region,
UNHCR and ECOWAS working towards permanent residency for refugees from the region and working on policies that abolish the status of statelessness of persons from the region.
