Amina Mohammed: I grew up in Maiduguri and I know circumstances create terrorists

Amina Mohammed, the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, says terrorists are not born, but created by a set of circumstances she saw growing up in Maiduguri.

Mohammed, who spoke on the Boko Haram crisis in the northeast, also said the World Food Programme is reaching more than one million people displaced Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria despite limited funding.

Briefing the Security Council on the Lake Chad Basin today in New York, Mohammed said despite the considerable contribution of the recent Oslo Donor Conference, demands outstrip resources.

“WFP is reaching more than 1 million people in northeast Nigeria, and is expanding its efforts. UNICEF has assisted 4 million people with basic health care and safe water. But, despite the considerable contribution of the recent Oslo Donor Conference, demands outstrip resources.

“As the Deputy Secretary-General, as an African and as a Nigerian, I truly welcome the Council’s visit to the Lake Chad Basin to witness first-hand the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency

“Even more so that, as a child, I grew up in Maiduguri and know that terrorists are not born but created by a set of circumstances.”

Mohammed, however, urged all humanitarian actors to ensure that women play key roles in food distribution and management internally displace persons (IDP) camps.

“We must also ensure that women have key roles in the response — from food distribution and camp management to all efforts to counter violent extremism, restore state authority and build peace,” she said.

Mohammed told the Security Council that UN is focused on six main pillars of engagement: political; humanitarian assistance; human rights; recovery and development; justice, law enforcement and the financing of terrorism; and technical support to the regional Multi-national Joint Task Force.