Japan Comes to the Rescue of IDPs...See Staggering Amount of Money Offered

Some of the IDPs soon to benefit from the gesture

People living in states ravaged by Boko Haram now have hope of new life as the Japanese government has offered a staggering amount to help in the provision of food and agricultural materials.

People at the Internal Displaced Persons camps will have cause to smile as Japan has extended a grant of $1.5 million to support food distribution and provision of agricultural victims and host families in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe ravaged by Boko Haram.

The news was contained in a statement from Mr John Nwankwo, Senior Assistant/Advisor on General Affairs, Information and Culture of the Embassy of Japan in Abuja on Friday.

It quoted the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Sadanobu Kusaoke, as saying that the “gesture will to a large extent assist in reducing the risk of food shortage and malnutrition in the affected communities.”

The statement explained that the funding would be used to provide direct food assistance to selected 3,000 families of approximately 36,000 people over a period of six months.

”The implementing organisations are to collaborate with state government agencies and international and national NGOs to implement the activities which are part of the Nigeria Humanitarian Plan for 2016.

”The project would provide food assistance through obtaining food items from local markets and would facilitate efficient and effective distribution on a monthly basis to identified and registered IDPs and host families.

”The selection of IDPs and host families would be on the basis of vulnerability with a focus on women and children.

”The project would also support identified and registered IDPs and host families with access to land and water with agricultural inputs to engage in generating revenues from vegetable production and marketing.

“In addition, a further 2,315,407 people across the three North East states are in a crisis food situation and need humanitarian assistance.

“This figure is expected to increase to 2,690,946 people towards the lean season of June to August 2016.

“In addition to providing immediate food security to families, it is expected that this intervention will provide a spring board for host families to cope with their depleted food stock and revive their livelihoods,” it added.