DISPLACEMENT, DIGNITY AND THE CHALLENGE OF REBUILDING LIVES
By Sani Umar
The global refugee and displacement crisis has reached unprecedented proportions, making it one of the defining humanitarian challenges of the 21st century. Across Africa, particularly in the sub-Saharan region, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of armed conflict, terrorism, ethnic tensions, communal violence and other forms of insecurity. What was once considered an occasional humanitarian emergency has evolved into a protracted crisis requiring sustained national, regional and international responses.
For decades, the international community, working through governments and humanitarian organizations, managed refugee movements with varying degrees of success. However, the nature of modern conflicts has become increasingly complex. Civil wars, violent extremism, climate-related pressures and organized criminal activities have combined to create a cycle of displacement that continues to grow across the continent.
Nigeria is among the countries that have experienced the devastating consequences of this crisis. In the North-East, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced millions, while the North-West and parts of the North-Central continue to grapple with banditry, kidnapping and violent communal conflicts. Entire communities have been attacked, homes destroyed, livelihoods lost and thousands of innocent men, women and children forced to abandon their ancestral homes in search of safety.
Beyond the tragic loss of lives, these conflicts have inflicted enormous social and economic costs. Agricultural production has declined in many affected communities, businesses have collapsed, schools and health facilities have been destroyed, and families have been separated. Many displaced persons now depend largely on government support, humanitarian assistance and the generosity of host communities for survival.
Federal and state governments, working alongside international humanitarian agencies and development partners, have made considerable efforts to address the crisis. Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have been established, relief materials distributed, healthcare services provided and educational opportunities created for displaced children. Vocational training, entrepreneurship programmes and livelihood support initiatives have also been introduced to enable displaced persons rebuild their lives with dignity and regain economic independence.
Among the organizations making significant contributions to humanitarian response in Nigeria is the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an internationally respected humanitarian organization that has worked for decades to protect and support refugees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities affected by conflict and natural disasters.
In Nigeria, the organization has partnered with governments, local communities and other humanitarian agencies to provide emergency relief, livelihood support, vocational training, protection services, shelter assistance and community resilience programmes aimed at helping displaced families rebuild their lives.
Beyond providing food and other relief materials, the DRC has placed considerable emphasis on restoring self-reliance among displaced persons. Through skills acquisition programmes, entrepreneurship training, business start-up support and vocational education, the organization seeks to equip beneficiaries with practical means of earning sustainable incomes. These interventions are designed not merely to alleviate immediate suffering but to reduce long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance and restore the dignity of families whose lives have been disrupted by violence.
It is against this backdrop that humanitarian officials have expressed concern over the persistence of street begging among some beneficiaries. Their concern is not a criticism of the displaced population as a whole but a reflection of the desire to see the substantial investments made in empowerment programmes translate into meaningful and lasting improvements in people’s lives.
These interventions deserve recognition. They reflect the commitment of governments and their humanitarian partners to ensure that those affected by violence are not abandoned during their most difficult moments. However, humanitarian assistance alone cannot provide a lasting solution unless it is complemented by genuine efforts on the part of beneficiaries to embrace opportunities for self-reliance.
One concern increasingly expressed by residents of several northern cities, as well as officials working in the humanitarian sector, is the growing incidence of street begging among some internally displaced persons. Despite the numerous interventions aimed at restoring livelihoods, many displaced women and children can still be seen along major roads, markets and commercial centres soliciting alms. This trend has generated concern over whether some beneficiaries are taking full advantage of the opportunities made available to them.
Officials of humanitarian organizations acknowledge that many displaced persons have successfully rebuilt their lives through vocational training and livelihood support. Nevertheless, they are worried that a number of beneficiaries continue to rely on street begging despite receiving skills acquisition training, start-up support and other forms of assistance. According to them, programmes designed to restore dignity and economic independence risk being undermined if beneficiaries abandon productive ventures in favour of begging.
The concern extends beyond official reports. It is a reality witnessed daily by many residents in northern cities. In some cases, displaced women and children spend long hours on the streets appealing for alms. Observers also report instances where children are sent out to beg while their parents remain at the camps or other designated meeting points until late in the evening. Whether driven by poverty, trauma or entrenched dependency, such practices raise important social and humanitarian questions that deserve serious attention.
These concerns are reinforced by those directly involved in training displaced persons. Engineer Garba Saidu, a vocational trainer with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), in Sokoto State expressed disappointment that some individuals who attended his skills acquisition programmes later returned to the streets to beg. He recalls encountering several of his former and present trainees soliciting alms in public places instead of applying the vocational skills they had acquired to earn a living. For humanitarian workers who devote their expertise to helping displaced persons regain self-sufficiency, such experiences are understandably discouraging.
This should not, however, diminish the remarkable resilience of the many displaced persons who have embraced vocational training, established small businesses and are working diligently to rebuild their lives. Their success stories demonstrate that, given the right support and personal determination, recovery is possible. Unfortunately, the actions of a number who continue to depend on begging often shape public perception of the larger displaced population.
Governments and humanitarian agencies should therefore strengthen monitoring and evaluation of empowerment programmes to ensure that beneficiaries effectively utilize the opportunities provided. Beyond providing training, greater emphasis should be placed on mentorship, follow-up support, access to markets, affordable credit and psychosocial services that help displaced persons transition successfully into sustainable livelihoods.
At the same time, community leaders, religious institutions, traditional rulers and civil society organizations should intensify public enlightenment campaigns that encourage dignity through productive work while discouraging street begging. Such campaigns must be accompanied by policies that protect vulnerable children from exploitation and ensure that every child has access to education rather than life on the streets.
Ultimately, the long-term solution lies not only in humanitarian assistance but also in restoring lasting peace and security. As long as terrorism, banditry and communal violence continue to displace communities, humanitarian agencies will remain overwhelmed and governments will continue to spend enormous resources on emergency relief instead of long-term development.
The displaced are victims of circumstances beyond their control. They deserve compassion, protection and opportunities to rebuild their lives. At the same time, every opportunity offered for empowerment should be embraced with determination and responsibility. Only through a genuine partnership between governments, humanitarian organizations, host communities and displaced persons themselves can the cycle of dependency be broken and replaced with hope, dignity and self-reliance.
By Sani Umar
The global refugee and displacement crisis has reached unprecedented proportions, making it one of the defining humanitarian challenges of the 21st century. Across Africa, particularly in the sub-Saharan region, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of armed conflict, terrorism, ethnic tensions, communal violence and other forms of insecurity. What was once considered an occasional humanitarian emergency has evolved into a protracted crisis requiring sustained national, regional and international responses.
For decades, the international community, working through governments and humanitarian organizations, managed refugee movements with varying degrees of success. However, the nature of modern conflicts has become increasingly complex. Civil wars, violent extremism, climate-related pressures and organized criminal activities have combined to create a cycle of displacement that continues to grow across the continent.
Nigeria is among the countries that have experienced the devastating consequences of this crisis. In the North-East, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced millions, while the North-West and parts of the North-Central continue to grapple with banditry, kidnapping and violent communal conflicts. Entire communities have been attacked, homes destroyed, livelihoods lost and thousands of innocent men, women and children forced to abandon their ancestral homes in search of safety.
Beyond the tragic loss of lives, these conflicts have inflicted enormous social and economic costs. Agricultural production has declined in many affected communities, businesses have collapsed, schools and health facilities have been destroyed, and families have been separated. Many displaced persons now depend largely on government support, humanitarian assistance and the generosity of host communities for survival.
Federal and state governments, working alongside international humanitarian agencies and development partners, have made considerable efforts to address the crisis. Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have been established, relief materials distributed, healthcare services provided and educational opportunities created for displaced children. Vocational training, entrepreneurship programmes and livelihood support initiatives have also been introduced to enable displaced persons rebuild their lives with dignity and regain economic independence.
Among the organizations making significant contributions to humanitarian response in Nigeria is the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an internationally respected humanitarian organization that has worked for decades to protect and support refugees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities affected by conflict and natural disasters.
In Nigeria, the organization has partnered with governments, local communities and other humanitarian agencies to provide emergency relief, livelihood support, vocational training, protection services, shelter assistance and community resilience programmes aimed at helping displaced families rebuild their lives.
Beyond providing food and other relief materials, the DRC has placed considerable emphasis on restoring self-reliance among displaced persons. Through skills acquisition programmes, entrepreneurship training, business start-up support and vocational education, the organization seeks to equip beneficiaries with practical means of earning sustainable incomes. These interventions are designed not merely to alleviate immediate suffering but to reduce long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance and restore the dignity of families whose lives have been disrupted by violence.
It is against this backdrop that humanitarian officials have expressed concern over the persistence of street begging among some beneficiaries. Their concern is not a criticism of the displaced population as a whole but a reflection of the desire to see the substantial investments made in empowerment programmes translate into meaningful and lasting improvements in people’s lives.
These interventions deserve recognition. They reflect the commitment of governments and their humanitarian partners to ensure that those affected by violence are not abandoned during their most difficult moments. However, humanitarian assistance alone cannot provide a lasting solution unless it is complemented by genuine efforts on the part of beneficiaries to embrace opportunities for self-reliance.
One concern increasingly expressed by residents of several northern cities, as well as officials working in the humanitarian sector, is the growing incidence of street begging among some internally displaced persons. Despite the numerous interventions aimed at restoring livelihoods, many displaced women and children can still be seen along major roads, markets and commercial centres soliciting alms. This trend has generated concern over whether some beneficiaries are taking full advantage of the opportunities made available to them.
Officials of humanitarian organizations acknowledge that many displaced persons have successfully rebuilt their lives through vocational training and livelihood support. Nevertheless, they are worried that a number of beneficiaries continue to rely on street begging despite receiving skills acquisition training, start-up support and other forms of assistance. According to them, programmes designed to restore dignity and economic independence risk being undermined if beneficiaries abandon productive ventures in favour of begging.
The concern extends beyond official reports. It is a reality witnessed daily by many residents in northern cities. In some cases, displaced women and children spend long hours on the streets appealing for alms. Observers also report instances where children are sent out to beg while their parents remain at the camps or other designated meeting points until late in the evening. Whether driven by poverty, trauma or entrenched dependency, such practices raise important social and humanitarian questions that deserve serious attention.
These concerns are reinforced by those directly involved in training displaced persons. Engineer Garba Saidu, a vocational trainer with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), in Sokoto State expressed disappointment that some individuals who attended his skills acquisition programmes later returned to the streets to beg. He recalls encountering several of his former and present trainees soliciting alms in public places instead of applying the vocational skills they had acquired to earn a living. For humanitarian workers who devote their expertise to helping displaced persons regain self-sufficiency, such experiences are understandably discouraging.
This should not, however, diminish the remarkable resilience of the many displaced persons who have embraced vocational training, established small businesses and are working diligently to rebuild their lives. Their success stories demonstrate that, given the right support and personal determination, recovery is possible. Unfortunately, the actions of a number who continue to depend on begging often shape public perception of the larger displaced population.
Governments and humanitarian agencies should therefore strengthen monitoring and evaluation of empowerment programmes to ensure that beneficiaries effectively utilize the opportunities provided. Beyond providing training, greater emphasis should be placed on mentorship, follow-up support, access to markets, affordable credit and psychosocial services that help displaced persons transition successfully into sustainable livelihoods.
At the same time, community leaders, religious institutions, traditional rulers and civil society organizations should intensify public enlightenment campaigns that encourage dignity through productive work while discouraging street begging. Such campaigns must be accompanied by policies that protect vulnerable children from exploitation and ensure that every child has access to education rather than life on the streets.
Ultimately, the long-term solution lies not only in humanitarian assistance but also in restoring lasting peace and security. As long as terrorism, banditry and communal violence continue to displace communities, humanitarian agencies will remain overwhelmed and governments will continue to spend enormous resources on emergency relief instead of long-term development.
The displaced are victims of circumstances beyond their control. They deserve compassion, protection and opportunities to rebuild their lives. At the same time, every opportunity offered for empowerment should be embraced with determination and responsibility. Only through a genuine partnership between governments, humanitarian organizations, host communities and displaced persons themselves can the cycle of dependency be broken and replaced with hope, dignity and self-reliance
