Over 1,000 people wounded by weapons in the north-east since January – Report

– The International Committee of the Red Cross said over 1,000 people have been treated from weapon inflicted wounds in the north east

– The ICRC said these individuals included were treated by the agency’s surgical team in Maiduguri state specialist hospital

Some displaced persons

The International Committee of the Red Cross has said it treated 1,300 patients with weapon inflicted wounds in the north east since January.

In a report released during the commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared on Tuesday, August 30, the ICRC said these wounded persons, mainly internal displaced persons were treated by the agency’s surgical team in Maiduguri state specialist hospital.

The ICRC also said it has treated 2,200 malnourished under five children.

Others who benefited from the ICRC include 711,304 refugees, returnees and residents who received food rations for up to three months, 213,922 received essential household items, 225,000 patients attended ICRC-supported centres for primary health care and six mobile clinics serving an estimated 736,000 internally displaced persons in Adamawa and Borno states and 9,200 deliveries were taken in the commission’s support clinics.

The ICRC said it is also worked in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to provide almost 472 free mobile phones calls available to persons who have been separated from their families.

“The ICRC and the NRCS opened 726 new tracing files for persons looking for missing relatives and exchanged 146 family messages among separated family members,” the ICRC said.

READ ALSO: Impressive! Soldiers build school for IDPs, take up teaching job (photos)

The commission said it has visited 20,100 detainees in prisons as well ad police and military detention facilities.

“Wherever needed, the detainees also benefited from improved access to clean water, sanitation or hygiene following ICRC rehabilitation activities and assistance,” the ICRC said.

Also speaking at the event, the chairperson of the national technical on the establishment and management of a database for missing persons Maryam Uwais said the committee which consists of the Nigeria police, the office of the national security adviser, the national information and technology development, military, the national identity management commission among others called on all Nigerians to be registered.

Uwais said the documentation of all Nigerians will ensure adequate protection of citizens in emergency crisis.

Uwais said: “Vigilance must be our watchword, even as we strive towards fortifying empathy in, and solidarity for our fellow citizens in a country that cares enough to make effort towards bringing closure to those persons whose loved ones have hitherto been unaccounted for.”

Since the emergence of insurgency in Nigeria, millions of people especially from the north east have been either killed or displaced from their communities.

A report Internal Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said there are 3.3 million internally displaced persons in Nigeria and that 470,500 individuals were displaced in 2013 alone.

The report also said that on a global rating, Nigeria is only ranked behind Syria with 6.5 million displaced persons and Colombia with 5.7 million refugees.

The post Over 1,000 people wounded by weapons in the north-east since January – Report appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read Naij.com 24/7.

loading...