The Civil Society Budget Implementation, Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation, CBIAMEC has called on the National Assembly to immediately begin the legislative process to establish the Humanitarian Relief, Recovery, and Reintegration Fund, HRRRF in support of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.
It says this has become expedient as the scale of humanitarian crisis clearly outweighs the resources currently available to NCFRMI and NEMA, which are the agencies mandated to coordinate protection, care, emergency response, and reintegration for the vulnerable groups.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at a media briefing, Chairman of CBIAMEC, Amb. Splendour Agbonkpolor, encouraged that this should not be a temporary or ad-hoc initiative, but a permanent national mechanism enshrined in law, and backed by clear provisions for transparency, accountability, independent audits, and periodic public reporting.
He revealed that according to credible reports, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees, asylum seekers, and refugees continue to rise at an alarming rate, and with the populations requiring psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and pathways to rebuild and reintegrate into society beyond immediate relief in the form of food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.
Based on the aforementioned, the chairman stated that the Fund if established, will include a comprehensive humanitarian support that goes beyond food and shelter, noting that displaced persons require healthcare, education, security, skills training, and livelihood opportunities.
He said it will also provide a holistic support, including reintegration of returnees and refugees into their communities with partnership and Coordination will be provided for by the platform for coordination among federal agencies, state governments, local authorities, development partners, the private sector, and civil society organizations to avoid duplication and ensure maximum impact.
His words, "We therefore strongly call for the creation of a Humanitarian Relief, Recovery, and Reintegration Fund (HRRRF) a dedicated national pool of resources that will enable timely response, ensure proper coordination, and sustain long-term rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for displaced persons across Nigeria.
"We hereby call on the National Assembly to immediately begin the legislative process to establish this Fund. This should not be a temporary or ad-hoc initiative but a permanent national mechanism, enshrined in law, and backed by clear provisions for transparency, accountability, independent audits, and periodic public reporting.
"We also emphasize that the responsibility for funding must not rest on the Federal Government alone. State governments, as the first line of response and the direct custodians of their citizens, must also contribute systematically to this Fund.
"By doing so, each state will have both ownership and responsibility in addressing the crises within its jurisdiction while benefitting from national coordination through the Commission and the Agency."