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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has decried the increase in the number of displaced persons in the region.
According to the commission, 6,741,974 people have so far been displaced this year.
It said the increase in the number of displaced persons poses danger to food security.
The Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Sintiki Ugbe, gave the figure during the commemoration of World Refugee Day with the theme; “Hope away from home”.
Ugbe said: “About 6,741,974 are forcibly displaced in 2023, of which 6,182,117 are internally displaced and 564,663 refugees.”
On the impact of displacement on food security, he said: “New displacements are a source of concern for humanitarian actors as the figures continue to rise and contribute to the deepening food insecurity across borders in the West Africa region, which is facing its worst food crisis in a decade.”
Quoting UNHCR Global Appeal for 2023, Ugbe said: “UNHCR will need over $10 billion to support an expected 117. 2 million displaced and stateless persons in 134 countries and territories of which 29 million are refugees.
“With these figures, the number of displaced populations all over the world continues to increase yearly.”
On the essence of the day and the plight of displaced persons, he said: “The World Refugee Day is an International day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the world and celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution and a moment to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognise their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
“The ECOWAS region continues to encounter diverse security and humanitarian challenges. Though armed conflict appears to have slowed down in some areas, pockets of armed attacks continue to destabilise the frontline states of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria with serious impact in the contiguous coastal states.
“The needs of millions of displaced populations are on the rise compelling them to depend on daily rations for their survival. This has been made worse by violence, abject poverty, chronic food insecurity and malnutrition, and climate related factors.
“Conflict and violence are still the main causes of displacement in the frontline states of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria in 2023. People continue to flee to Northern Togo, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire due to the insecurity in Burkina Faso and Central Sahel.
“Attacks against civilians by insurgents and crossfire between armed groups and security forces also combined to trigger hundreds of thousands of displacements in these countries.”
Peoplesmind
