Task Force releases 833 children from armed group in Northeast - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

  

The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, has released some 833 children from armed group in the region, reports ITREALMS.

This has also attracted commendation from UNICEF.

This is the first formal release of children from the CJTF since September 2017 when the group signed an action plan committing to put measures in place to end and prevent child recruitment following a listing in the annexes of the UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report for Children and Armed Conflict for the recruitment and use of children.

“The release of these children from CJTF shows commitment to implement the provisions of the Action Plan and to uphold international humanitarian law, human rights laws as well as other regional and national legislations, protecting children’s rights,” said Pernille Ironside, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Nigeria and the Co-chair of United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting on grave child rights violations (CTFMR).

“This is a significant milestone in ending the recruitment and use of children, but many more children remain in the ranks of other armed groups in either combat or support roles. We call on all parties to stop recruiting children and let children be children.”

Since the Action Plan was signed, members of the CTFMR initiated a joint field verification exercise to ascertain the presence and association of children within the command structures and ranks of the Civilian Joint Task Force. As of today, a total of 1,469 children (1,175 boys and 294 girls), associated with the Civilian Joint Task Force have been identified within the city of Maiduguri.

UNICEF continues to work closely with state authorities to support the implementation of reintegration programmes for the children released today as well as others affected by the ongoing conflict.

Since 2017, UNICEF has supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 8,700 children released from armed groups, helping trace their families, returning them to their communities, and offering them psychosocial support, education, vocational training and informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve livelihoods.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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UK biggest donor supporting UNICEF @northeast response

ITRealms:

The United Kingdom (UK) has been identified as one of the biggest donors supporting UNICEF’s humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria, as well as its work in other parts of the country, reports ITRealms.

A press release by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), quoted the International Development Secretary Priti Patel as revealing a new package of humanitarian support during the visit.

“Parts of northeast Nigeria including ‎the outskirts of Maiduguri - a city that the Secretaries of State visited - have been decimated by attacks from Boko Haram. The militant group have killed over 20,000 people, displaced 1.7 million and left 8.5 million in desperate need of urgent support. Ongoing attacks continue to destroy communities, with recent reports of children being forced to carry suicide bombs,” part of the statement read.

ITRealms gathered, UK increased support would extend DFID’s humanitarian programme in Nigeria over five years (2017-2022) to deliver: lifesaving food for more than 1.5 million people; treatment for up to 120,000 children at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes; ongoing support to help keep 100,000 girls and boys in education, providing a brighter future for the next generation; and humanitarian access to transport aid workers delivering assistance to the hardest to reach areas, for example using helicopters where roads are blocked or dangerous to use.

  

“It is catastrophic that at least 20,000 people have been murdered by Boko Haram’s terrorist regime, and over five million people have been left hungry and many homeless. Babies’ bodies are shutting down and mothers who have lost everything are fighting to keep their children alive. 

“Global Britain is a country that stands tall in the world and the UK will not turn its back on people living in danger and desperation,” Priti Patel.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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