18th October, 2017
Dr Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UNFPA on Wednesday in Abuja renewed the commitment of the agency to supporting women and girls affected by humanitarian crises.
Kanem, who disclosed this at media briefing, decried the alarming increase of refugees and people displaced by emergency within their country.
“The humanitarian situation is increasing alarmingly; we have never had so many refugees as we have now, more than 65 million refugees in the world, and an additional number of people who are displaced within their home land because of conflict.
“The noble mission of the United Nations to help nations on this scourge; that is war is even more important today than it has ever been.
“As UNFPA, we feel the pain of Nigeria and in the northeast and any other region there is conflict and it is always women and girls that bear the brunt of the pain.
“They have to scramble and flee; they have to look after the children and elderly,’’ she said.
According to her, UNFPA would do all things within its powers to protect the lives of people in crisis.
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She added that the agency in concert with other arms of government would defend the proposition that even in a terrible situation UNFPA would look after the needs of women and girls.
Kanem said UNFPA has delivered services and care to hundreds of girls and their families affected by humanitarian crises in Nigeria.
She said something terrible can happen to a woman or girl, but the support, counselling and care from UNFPA help them to recover and reclaim themselves in the society.
“We appeal to young people everywhere to make sure that we do not stigmatize girls who have been harmed because of conflict and other situations.
“We are there to love them, protect them, and rehabilitates them and we want them to become fully functioning members of the society once again,’’ she said.