UPDATE: 140 NIGERIANS STRANDED IN SUDAN RETURN HOME – IOM
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Through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return program, the International Organisation for Migration has helped 140 Nigerians who had been stuck in Sudan for months to return home.
This was revealed by IOM in a statement on Friday.
According to the report, Nigerian government representatives greeted the returnees when the chartered flight, the first since the start of the conflict in Sudan, touched down at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on February 27.
They included migrants with medical issues, as well as 64 women, 36 children, and four newborns less than 12 months.
“Following their return, each of the migrants received post-arrival assistance including counselling, medical attention – mental health and psychosocial support where necessary, as well as assistance for onward transportation to their final destinations. IOM and partners will also ensure their reintegration through additional support based on individual needs,” IOM stated.
“After the war, we found ourselves out in the open with no accommodation and no food. Things kept getting tougher, and the problem was that there was no hope because the war kept going on,” said Bashir, one of the returnees. “We are grateful to be back home”, he added.
More than 12 million people have been compelled to leave their homes since the start of the conflict in Sudan in 2023 in order to relocate elsewhere in the nation or seek safety in neighbouring nations, according to the international organisation.
“A considerable number of them were migrants, including third-country nationals who were circular workers, students and professionals who had made Sudan their home.
“As the war rages, IOM has worked closely with embassies and consular offices from various countries to coordinate protection, assistance and access to services for stranded migrants,” it added.
“Migrants who have transited through or are living in Sudan since the conflict began have found themselves stranded as the humanitarian situation deteriorates in the country. Many have lost everything—documents, homes, and belongings. For many, Voluntary Humanitarian Return remains the best option for a safe journey home”, said Mohamed Refaat, IOM Sudan Chief of Mission.
It emphasised that the IOM’s Voluntary Humanitarian Return program is a lifeline for stranded migrants, offering a secure route for those in extreme circumstances who want to go back to their home countries but are unable to do so.
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria, Nigeria Immigration Services, the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan, the Sudanese Ministry of Interior, and numerous other local actors in Kano worked closely together to coordinate the VHR charter flight.
“We are happy to see the positive results of partnerships and cooperation in saving lives”, said Ms. Paola Pace, Chief of Mission a.i. for IOM Nigeria. “IOM remains committed and will continue to work tirelessly to extend support to all migrants and ensure no one is left behind”, she added.
It also said the VHR charter was made possible with the support of the European Union through the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa.
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