Nigeria’s Northeast Requires $1 Billion In 2021 For Humanitarian Response
Humanitarian crisis in Nigeria's Northeast will require $1billion this year, according to UNOCHA.
Around $1 billion is required to address humanitarian needs in Northeast Nigeria in 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has said.
The UN agency made this known during the humanitarian response plan unveiled on Wednesday, March 16.
This is an almost $200 million increase from the $839 million required last year, where only 55 per cent of the required funding was raised.
Last year, HumAngle reported that humanitarian organisations predicted that after the impact of COVID-19, 10.6 million people would require aid and $1.08 billion in funding in 2021, with the figure adjusted due to the increase in vulnerable persons.
According to the UN, the region hosts 8.7 million people requiring assistance, with two million of those displaced, and 5.1 million people at risk of hunger in the coming lean season, the highest figure in four years.
This is attributed to the decade-long insecurity in the Northeast, coupled with factors such as climate change and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The plan requests US$1 billion to enable partners to provide critical services to the 6.4 million most vulnerable people – amongst a total of 8.7 million people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance in 2021,” UNOCHA said.
The crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states has been described as one of the largest in the world, affecting millions of women and children alike.
Edward Kallon, the UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria said the main operations for this year will focus on providing lifesaving support for the displaced, host communities, and all others affected by the violence in the region.
“This includes improving the living conditions in camps through decongestion and enhancing the quality of services. We will continue to prioritize prevention, development where feasible and humanitarian assistance where needed,” he added.
“A durable framework to find a solution to the crisis in north-east Nigeria must promote and implement the humanitarian, development and peace nexus.”
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