EU, UNDP launch emergency employment for 600 insurgency victims

The European Union and United Nations Development Programme have
launched a 3-year programme for sustainable waste management and
environmental sanitation for over 600 conflict-affected people from
across Borno state.

The emergency employment is to support the implementation of intensive
community clean-up and waste management activities and delivery of
sanitation-related services under the European Union-funded
‘Sustainable Waste Management and Environmental Protection’ project by
the UNDP.

At the launch of the project in Maiduguri, yesterday, Ms. Mizuho
Yokoi, Head of UNDP North-East Sub-Office, expressed UNDP’s gratitude
to the European Union for the partnership and support toward the
recovery and rebuilding efforts in the region.

“Activities to be implemented will help build capacities of local
institutions in sustainable waste management and create jobs for
members of participating communities,” Yokoi said.

The project, which aligns with the European Union’s funding
objectives, is part of UNDP’s early recovery efforts, aimed at
resuscitating household sources of livelihoods that will sustain
communities beyond humanitarian aid.

The beneficiaries of this intervention include Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) and their hosts in communities. Income generated from
opportunities like this helps families meet household needs, including
feeding, medication and children’s school fees.

Previous beneficiaries from similar opportunities have used income
earned to start small businesses and support even more community
members.

Through partnership with the European Union, over US$8 million will be
invested in activities aimed at ridding the region of debris both from
the conflict and reconstruction and cleaning up communities in
Maiduguri, Bama and Biu Local Government Areas.

The crisis, now which is in its tenth year, led to the displacement of
over 10 million people across the North-East of Nigeria and into
neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Borno state has been most
affected by the crisis in the region, accounting for over 80 per cent
of IDP population. Due to increased population, especially in
Maiduguri, solid waste and conflict debris have accumulated, exposing
the already vulnerable populations to pollution and risk of disease
infections.

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