UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom meets children and families affected by Boko Haram violence on Niger trip

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom (right) smiles as he listens to twelve-year-old Aicha Gabtchami, a fifth grade student, speak at a temporary learning space at a camp for internally displaced people in Ngagam, near Diffa, Niger, Friday 17 February 2017. Aicha, who was displaced from Barwa, Niger near Lake Chad, came to Ngagam camp with her mother and grandmother by foot. The family were forced to flee after being threatened by Boko Haram members, who killed other people around them as they fled. Her uncle was killed while in the bush. Aicha’s father, who had already left Barwa, was also killed by Boko Haram insurgents. Attending classes at the school makes Aicha feel better, “more comfortable” as she puts it. (CNW Group/UNICEF Canada)

1.3 million children displaced by violence across region

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NEW YORK, and NIAMEY, Niger, Feb. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom this week travelled to Diffa, south-east Niger, to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad Basin where Boko Haram violence has caused huge population displacements. Hundreds of thousands of children across the region have been forced from their homes, are out of education and at risk of malnutrition.

In areas affected by the violence in Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, 2.3 million people are now displaced, making this one of the fastest growing displacement crises in Africa. The Diffa region currently hosts over 240,000 internally displaced persons, refugees and returnees – including 160,000 children.

"As a father, it is hard for me to imagine how many of these children are caught up in this conflict. During my trip I have heard dreadful stories about children fleeing on foot, leaving everything behind, including the safety of their homes and classrooms," said Bloom, who first travelled to see UNICEF's work in 2007.

Bloom met with children such as 14-year-old Amada Goni who has been living with his family in Garin Wazam, a camp for displaced persons. When the crisis began, many of Amada's friends joined Boko Haram, some voluntarily, others not. He opened up to Bloom about the terrible nightmares he has and how he still doesn't feel safe since his village was attacked eight months ago. Amada now goes to the UNICEF-supported psychosocial support unit every day where he gets help to deal with the trauma he faced and where he has met new friends.

"When I go there to play, I feel good, I feel relieved, I feel much better. It helps with the nightmares," he told Bloom.

"It is extremely hard to comprehend this situation when you are not there. I saw the depth of the pain and suffering these kids are going through. This is not something any child should experience," said Bloom. "However it was amazing to witness the smile on Amada's face as he played basketball with his friends. This is the result of UNICEF's work."

"So many children in Niger and across the Lake Chad region have been uprooted by this crisis," said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF's Regional Director for West and Central Africa. "They have suffered unimaginable violence and abuse, they have lost their families, their homes and missed out on years of education. What these children need most is an end to the violence, and until that is possible, we must do all we can to support them in rebuilding their lives."

During his time in Niger, Bloom also visited Bosso on the border of Nigeria where he met 13-year-old Eta, who fled with her family when her house was burned by Boko Haram. Now attending a temporary school opened by UNICEF, she dreams of becoming a doctor, working for the well-being of her community.

"This visit has been extremely moving. Every single child I met is affected by this conflict and in desperate need of basic services such as clean water, psychological care and education to help them recover from the atrocities they have suffered and witnessed. They deserve a childhood," said Bloom.

UNICEF and its partners in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have increased the level of assistance to thousands of families in the region, with access to safe water, education, counselling and psychosocial support, as well as vaccines and treatment for malnutrition. However, a shortage of funding and difficult access due to insecurity have hindered the delivery of humanitarian assistance to thousands of children in need.

Notes to editors:
On Friday 24 February, a major international conference, hosted by Nigeria, Norway and Germany, will be held in Oslo aimed at increasing funding for the crisis in north-east Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin.

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SOURCE UNICEF Canada

For interviews, please contact: Stefanie Carmichael, UNICEF Canada, 416-482-6552 ext. 8866, [email protected]