US, EU promise to assist Nigeria resettle IDPs

A group of diplomats on Monday pledged to assist Nigeria with strategies that will ensure the successful resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the troubled North East of the country.

The group, which included United States ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, and the ambassador and head of Delegation of the European Union, Michel Arrion, met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Entwistle, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said they used the opportunity to compare notes with Osinbajo and his team, saying, “We have come in a group today to meet with the Vice President and his team just to compare notes as friends on the situation in the North East.

“We want to make sure we understand each other on the scope and the size of the humanitarian challenge, and we can coordinate when the time comes for the IDPs to go home which we do think will, unfortunately, be some time away.”

Arrion told journalists that the meeting also looked at what extent the international community could support the Nigerian government to respond to the humanitarian crises.

According to him: “I think that the main message that we agreed upon with the government was certainly that we need a comprehensive and global response.

“It is not only a security crisis, it is not only political, and not only a development or humanitarian crisis but it is all of that. So, to this global crisis we need a global response and we have just reassured his Excellency the Vice President that the international community was ready to support the government.”