By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto

SOKOTO:- No fewer than 200 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), predominantly women, have benefited from a peace building dialogue and psychosocial support programme organised by Caritas Nigeria in collaboration with United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and implemented by Rain Healthcare Initiative and Good Leadership at Guiwa and Tudun Wada IDP camps in Sokoto State.

The intervention, conducted under the theme, “Building Community Resilience: Supporting Women’s Role in Conflict Prevention and Mediation,” focused on conflict affected women and vulnerable families displaced by insecurity across the North-West region.

Speaking during the programme, Project Lead of Caritas Nigeria, Jude Akwo, said the initiative was designed to strengthen women led peace building efforts and promote community resilience against insecurity and violent extremism.

According to him, the intervention forms part of the UNICRI funded project titled, “Assessing and Addressing the Nexus between Organized Crime and Terrorism in Africa.”

Akwo explained that the project seeks to tackle the growing links between organized crime, terrorism and community vulnerabilities while promoting inclusive peace building mechanisms in conflict affected communities.

“Women constituted about 70 percent of the participants in this dialogue because of the incredible role they play in peace building and conflict mediation,” he said.

A consultant with Caritas Nigeria, Mahmoud Malami Sadik, disclosed that findings from field research conducted in Sokoto and Zamfara states revealed that women remain among the worst hit victims of banditry and forced displacement.

“We discovered that women are the major category of people affected. Many have lost their husbands and are now widows, while some were subjected to sexual violence,” he stated.

Sadik noted that the project was aimed at transforming women from victims of conflict into active agents of peace, reconciliation and mediation within their communities.

Also speaking, Abdulkareem M. Lawali, who represented the Special Adviser to the Governor of Sokoto State on Resident Communities and IDPs, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting programmes that improve the welfare of displaced persons and promote sustainable peace.

He commended Rain Healthcare Initiative and Caritas Nigeria for implementing interventions addressing both the humanitarian and social dimensions of displacement in affected communities.

Earlier, the Secretary of Rain Healthcare Initiative and Leadership, Muhammad Nasir Sokoto, who represented the Executive Director, Usman Hamza, decried the harsh living conditions in many IDP camps and called for increased support from government agencies, humanitarian organisations and well meaning individuals.

“We need more collective action to cushion the suffering of displaced families and restore hope to vulnerable communities,” he said.

The event also featured a psychosocial support session facilitated by Fauziyya Sani, a certified psychosocial specialist, who provided participants with guidance on trauma management, emotional well being and resilience building strategies.

Participants expressed appreciation to Caritas Nigeria, UNICRI and Rain Healthcare Initiative for what they described as a timely intervention amid worsening humanitarian challenges confronting displaced families in the region.