By: Aisha Mohammed
Country Director, Cooperative for Assistance and Relieve Everywhere, CARE, Dr. Hussaini Abdu says women, children and marginalized groups are the worst affected by conflict in North-East Nigeria and stressed the need to strengthen the delivery of protection, health services and increase women’s voices and participation within the humanitarian response cycle in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
Dr. Abdu disclosed this at the launch of the Humanitarian and Resilience Program, HARP, with the theme Strengthening Protection Services and Resilience in North-East Nigeria through a Locally Approach in Yola Adamawa State.
In an address of welcome, The Country Director, CARE, Dr. Abdu who joined the launch virtually says a strengthened protection system will go a long way in providing coordinated and integrated response in addressing the needs of women and girls to reduce barriers of women’s access to quality and empowering protection services needed, calling on all relevant stakeholders to take ownership of the program for its sustainability.
In an opening remark, Acting Team Lead, Humanitarian and Resilience team, Sarah Maynard says in many countries around the world, seventy percent of women in crisis situations experience Gender Based Violence, GBV and other Human Right violations, adding that in the Northern part of Nigeria ninety percent are most likely to get out of school as a result of early marriage and expressed confidence that the HARP program will achieve the goal of strengthening protection services and Resilience through a Locally Approach.
While explaining the overview of the HARP program to be implemented in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States Program Director, CARE Nigeria, Jennifer Orgle identified harmful traditional practices amongst others to be addressed and pledged to work closely with the media in achieving the goals of the project.
Representatives of the various Partners, Ministeries, Department and Agencies in Adamawa State advocated capacity building for women as according to them issues of women and children in conflict situations deserve utmost attention and pledged maximum support in achieving the desired goal of the HARP program.
The Humanitarian and Resilience Program, HARP with the theme Strengthening Protection Services and Resilience in North-East Nigeria through a Locally led approach with special focus on women and girls is a nineteen months project implemented by Cooperative for Assistance and Relieve Everywhere, CARE in partnership with NEEM Foundation, Nigeria INGO FORUM /IMMAP and Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa A Nigeria to work in partnership with government agencies and community institutions.
