Abuja, 21^st June 2017. The ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the National Commission for Refugee Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) have donated food items worth USD 3,000 to refugees in Abuja as part of the activities lined up for the celebration of the World Refugee Day 2017 to demonstrate commitment to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) December 2000 Resolution 55/76 to raise public awareness about refugee’s situations in the region every 20^th of June.

While handing over the food items including rice and vegetable oil at the Nyanya Gwandara refugee transit camp on Monday, June 19, 2017, the three organizations led by the Programme Officer, ECOWAS Emergency Response Team (EERT), Mr. Godfrey Alozie, the National Commissioner for Refugee Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hajia Sa’diya Umar Farouq as well as the UNHCR Country Representative, Mr. Antonio Jose Canhandula, took turns to reiterate ECOWAS, NCFRMI and UNHCR’s commitment to give refugees a  sense of dignity and purpose in the society and honour their courage especially women and children.

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, Dr. Fatimata Dia Sow, in a message read by Mr. Alozie, enjoined Camp members to accept the gifts as part of ECOWAS and partners effort in mitigating the hardship associated with displacement while reassuring victims that ECOWAS is working very hard to ensure the reduction of conflicts, civil unrest, environmental disasters and abuse of human rights in the region.

Mr. Tesfalem Tekest, an Eritrean, on behalf of the 78 families spread across Abuja and its environs, expressed gratitude to partners for the donation and thereby urged officials to take steps towards the provision of employment, counselling and training for victims.

 Photo Gallery