WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY: FEMD HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES FACING HUMANITARIAN WORKERS

By: Nkechi Isa

The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has highlighted the risks and challenges confronting humanitarian workers in the course of responding to emergencies and assisting vulnerable people.

The department made this known as it joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Humanitarian Day, which honours men and women working on the front lines of humanitarian crises.

Speaking at an event held at the FEMD Conference Room in Abuja, the Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mrs. Alibi Akwaji Yabeni, said humanitarian work was not the responsibility of one individual but a collective effort driven by compassion and commitment to saving lives.

At a roundtable discussion organised as part of the commemoration, participants identified several challenges confronting humanitarian workers, including attacks, threats of arrest, inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), exposure to infectious diseases during outbreaks and weak enforcement of relevant laws.

Contributing to the discussion, Hajia Khadijat AbdulAziz of the FCT Public Health Department said the lack of appropriate PPE exposes humanitarian workers to health risks, particularly during disease outbreaks.

She also identified insecurity and inadequate funding as major obstacles to effective emergency response, stressing the need for better protection and resources for personnel working in crisis situations.

Mrs. Obi Chinwendu Anastasia of the Gender Department, Social Development Secretariat (SDS), noted that humanitarian workers handling custody and related social welfare matters could also face attacks from members of the public.

Similarly, Mrs. Mercy Uwabor of the SDS called for stronger legal protection for humanitarian workers, particularly those dealing with difficult and potentially hostile clients.

She also advocated the deployment of security personnel when humanitarian workers are required to handle high-risk cases.

Participants further called for stronger action against substandard maternity homes operated by unqualified personnel, linking the activities of such facilities to the rising cases of maternal and newborn deaths in the FCT.

They urged relevant authorities to intensify monitoring, enforcement and regulation of healthcare facilities to protect mothers and newborns.

World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on August 19. The United Nations designated the day to honor humanitarian workers who risk, and in some cases lose, their lives while providing assistance to people affected by conflicts, disasters, and other humanitarian crises.