COVID-19: NCFRMI distributes palliatives, PPE to Cross River refugees

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has distributed various personal protective equipment (PPE) and food items to refugees in Ogoja, Cross River state, in order to effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a statement signed by the Head Press and Public Relations of NCFRMI, Abdul A. Onu and made available to Paulokahblog on Saturday, the items distributed for the benefit of persons at the refugees settlement in Adagum,  Adagum 3 and Ukende all in Ogoja, include facemasks, hand sanitisers, soap and buckets.

Making the donations to 18,891 refugees, the Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Development, Mrs Mama Edet, said the items were meant to help the refugees improve their personal hygiene and to protect them from the ravaging coronavirus, adding that "as the refugees have become part of us, we have to do everything possible to protect them.” 

He said that the beneficiaries were full of gratitude to the Commission and the Federal Government for the kind gesture and promised to make the best use of the items, even as the team of officials from the Commission and its partners also inspected facilities in the settlement to determine areas where intervention would be necessary. 

Also speaking, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  (UNHCR) in Ogoja, Mr Mulugeta Zewdie, commended the Commission for the timely intervention, which he said would surely impact the rising number of Refugees positively. 

He stressed that UNHCR, as the global body charged with ensuring the wellbeing of refugees worldwide, would continue to partner the NCFRMI towards achieving a common objective, revealing that there are about 70,000 refugees in Cross River State.

In another development, the Commission in partnership with UNHCR and Caritas Nigeria, distributed food and non- food items to refugees in Ekon, Annakun and Aninegeje communities in Cross River State.

The Commissioner was also represented at the event by the Head of South-South Zonal office of the Commission, Mr,  Innocent Efoghe, while items distributed included rice, beverages, salt, sugar, cooking pots, plastic containers, solar light, among others.