The UN Special Adviser on Solutions for IDPs, Mr. Louis Hoffman, was received in audience at the Theater Command Headquarters in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri on December 8, 2022, , as part of Operation Hadin Kai’s non-kinetic efforts to restore peace and normalcy and to revive the socioeconomic activities of North East Nigeria. This was done on behalf of the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General CG Musa.
UN Special Adviser thanked the Theatre Commander for the gracious welcome they received during the tour. He then revealed that his main purpose in being in the North East of Nigeria is to examine the situation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.
Additionally, the UN Special Adviser noted that there are approximately 60 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world, and that number is certain to rise given the recent global climate change, particularly in Nigeria where the recent flood has driven so many residents from their ancestral homes. The Special Adviser thanked the Nigerian government and other stakeholders for their assistance and collaboration, but he also made clear that all relevant agencies must work together to provide humanitarian aid and empowerment to the IDPs. These, in his opinion, will make it easier for IDPs to go back to their own homes.
In his response, Major General MS Ahmed greeted the Special Adviser to the UN and his team to HQs Theatre Command on behalf of the Theatre Commander, Officers, and Men of OPHK. He then expressed the Theatre Commander’s appreciation for the UN’s efforts to assist the IDPs in North East Nigeria.
Major General Ahmed added that the OPHK Command, along with the State Government and other organizations, is making significant contributions to the IDPs’ empowerment. He promised the UN Special Adviser that the Theater will continue to assist and work with them, but he also pushed them to launch a campaign to educate the community about climate change and look into the causes that are causing the affected people to be displaced ( IDPs ).
