The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Nigeria, says it has received N10 million as donation from the Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, to support victims of conflicts in Africa.
Mr Gabriel Adeyemo, Assistant Communications Officer, UNHCR, Nigeria, said the donation, which was about $30,000 was handed over to the UNHCR team in Lagos by the church at a brief ceremony on Tuesday in Lagos.
Mr Jose Antonio-Canhandula, UNHCR’s Representative to Nigeria was quoted as saying the donation would be used to provide life-saving emergency assistance to families forced to flee their homes.
“Nigeria is unfortunately affected by this phenomenon, not only in North-East, but also the Middle Belt.
“Many displaced persons do not have where to sleep; no access to water; and access to healthcare facilities is very limited.
“They do not participate in the economy and cannot fend for themselves,” Antonio-Canhandula said.
He said that the commitment of Daystar Centre to help uprooted families was truly appreciated and also demonstrated the spirit of sharing.
He said that the centre had paved the way for other civic organisations to support our brothers and sisters fleeing due to conflict.
The representative added that Africa had vast potential to finance the needs of its displaced persons through its rich spirit of giving and human solidarity.
Antonio-Canhandula noted that the world’s displaced persons had reached 68.5 million, adding that an unprecedented level of over 25 million of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He said that 76 per cent of the 68.5 million were women and children.
The Senior Pastor of the Centre, Sam Adeyemi, said that the donation was a commitment toward restoring the resilience of families forced to flee across the continent.
“When people flee their homes and leave everything they own behind, their needs become critical, and their coping mechanisms compromised.
“Without help, they cannot access shelter, or even cooking utensils – let alone education and healthcare.
“Some arrive with severe trauma after facing unimaginable ordeals before and during flight.
“We at Daystar are happy to support UNHCR’s work on the ground to provide emergency relief and support to our forcibly displaced brothers and sisters,” Adeyemi said.
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