06 May 2015, 03:44 pm Print
Briefing reporters at UN Headquarters in New York after his return from the two countries, OCHA Operations Director John Ging noted that between them, Chad and Niger host more than 850,000 refugees and returnees from neighbouring countries.
“These two countries constitute a fragile island of stability in a region of conflict. Impoverished as they are, they show us their exemplary humanity in opening their borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing their war-torn neighbours: Nigeria, Central African Republic, Mali, Libya and Sudan,” said Ging.
“While these two countries languish at the very bottom of the Human Development Index, they lead the world in their generosity and in their humanity,” said Ging.
Beset by multiple, overlapping crises driven by a harsh and worsening climate, acute poverty and minimal infrastructure, Niger and Chad now face large-scale population inflows, cross-border attacks and the economic impact of closed borders.
“Of the many countries I have visited over the past year, Niger and Chad offer the clearest examples showing that urgent action is required to meet basic needs and shore up stability to prevent these fragile countries from tipping into crisis,” said Ging.
Niger is ranked last on the UN’s Human Development Index, while Chad falls fourth from last. 2.4 million people in Chad and 2.6 million in Niger are food insecure.
“While it is critical that lifesaving assistance continues for those in desperate need, what is also needed is to support these countries in building a more hopeful future for their people, investing in education, job creation and public infrastructure,” said OCHA’s Operations Director.
Both countries’ humanitarian appeals are woefully underfunded, at 17 per cent for Chad and 25 per cent for Niger, and contributions are declining both in absolute terms and as a proportion of need year-on-year.
“It is shameful that we, as the international community, are not doing more to shoulder our part of this responsibility,” said Ging.
Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten
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