An International humanitarian organisation, Mercy Corps, in collaboration with European Union (EU), has handed over 325 two-bedroom houses for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bama, the headquarters of Bama LGA, to the Borno government.
This is contained in a statement on Friday in Maiduguri by the Communication Specialist of Mercy Corps, Grace Oguntade.
According to the statement, Mr Raiz Khan, the Corps Team Leader, at the hand over event said the houses were constructed under the “European Union-funded Borno ‘Maida’ – Early Recovery Programme”.
Khan represented Mr Ndubisi Anyawu, the Mercy Corps Country Representative, at the ceremony and said:
“Mercy Corps Nigeria provided the vital support to beneficiaries who have lost their homes as a result of the insurgency in NorthEast Nigeria.
“Mercy Corps Nigeria had learned about the precarious existence of the beneficiaries and their urgent need for shelter following the devastating impact of the insurgency in Bama in 2018.
“Subsequently, the organisation conducted a needs assessment to ascertain how many displaced families were affected and who were most at risk.
“Findings from the assessment showed that many houses and community structures were damaged while some were completely destroyed.
“Working closely with Community Resilience Groups (CRG), the community members were engaged and a suitable shelter prototype for their homes was agreed upon – two rooms and a veranda for 325 of the most vulnerable returnee households.”
Also speaking at the occasion, the representative of EU, Mrs Cecile Tassin-Pelzer, said that the project was an EU-funded project which started in 2017 to support recovery of up to 200,000 returnee IDPs.
Tassin-Pelzer said that similar 325 shelters were months ago handed over in Gwoza town of the state to the IDPs.
“The 650 permanent shelters constructed in Gwoza and Bama, equipped with solar system will go a long way to restore hope and safety to the people whose property were destroyed by the insurgent,” Tassin-Pelzer said.
Mr Abba Yusuf, the representative of Borno Government and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, lauded EU and Mercy Corps for the intervention for the vulnerable.
He said that the provision was one of the critical infrastructure needed.
Yusuf called on EU and other development partners to key into the state’s 25-year development plan and 10-year strategic transformation agenda “which is our road map and vision for a better Borno State”. (NAN)
