‘Boko Haram killed 23,000, displaced 2.2 million’

The Boko Haram insurgency in the North East has claimed the lives of more than 23,000 people and displaced 2.2 million others.

Ambassador Ahmed Shehu, Chairman and Executive Director of the Network of Civil Society Organisations (NECSO), made the disclosure in Maiduguri, Borno State, at the weekend.

At the North East Humanitarian Summit designed to mark World Humanitarian Day, Shehu regretted that the region, particularly Maiduguri metropolis, continues to face severe humanitarian crisis following the displacement of entire communities.

“The present security challenges in Borno have forced thousands of families away from homes and loved ones. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are not well taken care of by both national and international actors, as they don’t exist in the framework and thematic areas of most interventions,” he said.

He noted that the purpose of the summit was to “guide and support” a comprehensive and coordinated humanitarian effort in concert with broader and immediate responses, adding: “The overall goal is to harness commitments, support and investments that are driven by the affected population, to respond to humanitarian crisis and honour those who lost their lives in humanitarian services, including the ones that continue to bring assistance and relief to millions of displaced persons.”