13th September, 2019
Jaiz Bank’s Charity and Development Foundation has donated N7 million to the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) for the families of those displaced by conflict in North-East Nigeria.
The Director of the organisation, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib told newsmen on Friday, in Abuja that providing humanitarian relief was one of the mandates of the foundation.
“When the UN came on board and we saw that what they were asking for is within our mandate, the foundation deemed it necessary to respond appropriately. Our scope is very broad as we also intervene in the area of education, health, water, sanitation, environment, agriculture and empowerment,’’ Shuaib said.
He also said that the foundation, in December 2018, provided N32 million aids as economic empowerment for the poor in the insurgent ravaged area. He added the foundation has earmarked N54 million to be disbursed for economic empowerment, health, sanitation and water in areas plagued with banditry, insurgency and natural disasters.
Mr. Antonio Canhandula, the UNHCR Country Representative and ECOWAS, said the donation would support people forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict, violence or persecution in the North East. He said the donation from the foundation has a multiplier effect, adding that it goes beyond N7 million.
“The donation is more of a message from a Nigerian to other Nigerians to say that we know that we have compatriots suffering and we are part of that suffering even if we are not there,’’ Canhandula said.
Canhandula said the donation would be used to empower displaced families in the northeast, where the situation of the population was of serious concern to the UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies.
“Nigeria has vast potential to finance the needs of its displaced persons through its rich spirit of giving and human solidarity. Many of the displaced people do not have anywhere to sleep; no access to water and their access to health and education services is very limited. With the help of well-designed livelihoods programmes, they can be gradually empowered to support themselves and their families,’’
Shuaib said that with the donation, UNHCR would focus more on women in the northeast in the camp, adding that most of them have lost their husbands and are now breadwinners.
The high point of the event is the presentation of the Cheque to UNHCR by Malam Adamu Bello, Chairman, Board of Trustees of Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation represented by Hajiya Zainab AbdurRahman, who is a member of the board.
Bello said the foundation had spent huge sums on intervention to help people in lower-income line to earn a living.