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UNHCR urges Nigerian govt to reinforce support for refugees
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to reinforce its support for refugees and include them in planning for the country.
Mr Ephraim Kabura, Head of Field Office, UNHCR, Lagos State, made the call at a programme to commemorate World Refugee Day on Tuesday at TBS, Onikan, Lagos.
The programme was organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lagos office, in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
It was reported that the theme for 2023 World Refugee Day is: “Hope Away from Home. A World Where Refugees are Always Included”.
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe.
Kabura said that including refugees in the communities where they had found safety was the most effective way to help them restart their lives and contribute to the countries hosting them.
According to him, in the zone of coverage in the UN field office in Lagos state, there are about 4,500 refugees and asylum seekers in the Southwest.
He stressed that in today’s divided world, long-term solutions for people forced to flee remain pitifully scarce, leaving many of the world’s 35 million refugees in limbo.
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He said that it was also an opportunity to celebrate the Lagos State public and private sector partners as well as donors who had been responsive to the plight of refugees.
Kabura said that to mark this year’s theme, refugee leaders in collaboration with the UNHCR Lagos office and its partners have designed a talent show and livelihood exhibition to showcase potential among persons forced to flee and to seek their inclusion in the national system.
“On world refugee day, we honour the courage and hopes of the millions of people forced to flee war, violence, and persecution
“We are using this event to highlight to the rest of the world that we can and must do more to offer such hope, opportunities and solutions to refugees, wherever they are and whatever the context.
“Including refugees in the communities where they have found safety is the most effective way to help them restart their lives and contribute to the countries hosting them.
“In real terms, this means ensuring that refugees can apply for jobs, enroll in schools, and access services like housing and health care.
“It also means fostering a sense of belonging and welcome that gives hope to refugees uprooted from their homes,” he said.
Kabura noted that Nigeria alone could not provide for refugees adding that the international community must provide financial resources to sustain the tempo and surpass it.
