by Faith Yahaya and Frank Ikpefan
United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, has said about $1.1 billion is needed to provide urgent humanitarian assistance for 8.7 million displaced persons in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
He said over $3.2 billion was mobilised for humanitarian responses in the Northeast from 2017 to 2020, providing life-saving assistance to over 5.5 million people annually.
The UN official said current insecurity in the country had led to the displacement of 1.4 million in the Northwest and over 1 million in the Northcentral, mostly those in need of humanitarian help.
He warned that Nigeria could face increased food insecurity, if preventive measures are not scaled up and enhanced, especially during the lean season.
Kallon spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 2021 World Humanitarian Day with the theme: Building Resilience to Climate Change: Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus and Localisation, and the unveiling of the National Humanitarian Development Peace Framework by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
He said: “Over US$3.2 billion has been mobilised for the humanitarian response in the Northeast, from 2017 to 2020, providing life-saving assistance to over 5.5 million people annually.
“The humanitarian community in Nigeria, including the government, international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), civil society groups and the UN, have done very good work over the years in alleviating human suffering, averting a famine in 2017 and bringing hope to millions of people affected by the conflict.
“However, 8.7 million people in the BAY states – Borno, Adamawa, Yobe – need humanitarian assistance in 2021, requiring a total of $1.01 billion. In addition, 1.4 million people are displaced in Northwest Nigeria and over 1 million in Northcentral that equally need humanitarian assistance…”
Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Minister Sadiya Umar Farouk said the framework was developed to reduce vulnerabilities as well as support and promote peace and stability in the country.
According to her, the COVID-19 pandemic, catastrophic weather occurrences and insecurity in the Northeast have created food insecurity in the region.