A $306 million appeal has been launched to combat the anticipated food security and nutrition crisis during the famine season from May to September in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The appeal was launched in Abuja on Tuesday by the Government of Nigeria and national and international partners to provide food aid, nutritional supplies and services, clean water, healthcare and protection support to people in dire need at this time. In three states heavily affected by the more than decade-old Boko Haram crisis.
According to the Government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis published in March this year, around 4.8 million people are estimated to face severe food insecurity; This is the highest level in the last seven years in the BAY states.
The report stated that children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly and people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable.
The appeal, launched on Tuesday, is expected to provide emergency assistance to at least 2.8 million people and make them resilient to the food insecurity and nutrition crisis during the lean season, with a multisectoral plan put in place.
In a statement made on Tuesday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), it was stated that this food and nutrition crisis, which has been exacerbated by the increase in food prices, is caused by climate change as well as ongoing conflict and insecurity in the BAY states. effects. Without urgent and coordinated intervention, there is a danger of it becoming a disaster. Prices of staple foods such as beans and maize rose by 300 to 400 percent last year following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira. Inflation is exceeding families’ ability to cope and making basic food items unaffordable.
Malnutrition rates are of great concern, he added. Approximately 700,000 children under the age of five are predicted to suffer from acute malnutrition in the next six months; These include 230,000 children who are expected to have severe acute malnutrition and be at risk of death if they do not receive timely treatment and nutritional support.
Speaking at the launch of the plan, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, said: “Mobilization of finances and resources to address this lean season food security and nutrition crisis projected in the north-eastern part of the country requires the Federal Government to address the complications of malnutrition, negative coping mechanisms, “It is a step in the right direction in complementing efforts to prevent people dying as a result of adoption and other health-related problems.”
Announcing the release of $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to launch the emergency response, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall said: “I am confident that we have the capacity to meet these growing needs to support government efforts; what we need now are resources. To join hands and pool resources to save lives and end suffering.”
Dr Rownak Khan, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, said: “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the increasing food security and nutrition crisis in the BAY states. The alarming increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition among children underscores the need for immediate action. This year alone, we have seen nearly 120,000 applications for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with its complications; This number is well above our estimated target of 90,000. We must ensure that life-saving food products reach every child who needs them. This isn’t just a call to action; “It’s a race against time to save the lives and protect the future of millions of defenseless children,” he said.
Dominique Koffy Kouacou, interim representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Nigeria, underlined the need for urgent action for long-term results and said, “Given the emergency situation, urgent interventions are needed for short and medium-term support.” – and the long-term needs of vulnerable populations. Therefore, the focus should be on building resilience supported by emergency agriculture, including seeds, fertilisers, livestock and technical training, and on developing agribusiness for better production and better nutrition”.
World Food Program (WFP) Country Director David Stevenson said: “We need to move from conflict to solutions, and the solution is peace and production. Meanwhile, a conflict continues in the northeast that requires our collective emergency assistance. “We are prioritizing access to nutritious food by providing cash-based transfers, specialized nutritious foods and supporting local food solutions.”
OCHA said in a statement that as the dry season coincides with the rainy season, concerted efforts are needed to improve access to drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene, especially to combat the spread of infectious diseases among more than 2 million people. Internally displaced persons in camps and overcrowded settlements in BAY states. This is crucial to help break the vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition that threatens the lives of young children and other vulnerable people.
He also noted that alongside efforts to protect lives, there is a need to strengthen people’s resilience by supporting agricultural livelihoods that sustain more than 80 percent of vulnerable people in the BAY states. Limited financing for agricultural livelihoods continues to perpetuate cyclical food insecurity.
He recalled that this is the fourth time that the UN and humanitarian partners have launched an operational plan for BAY states that addresses the need to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. This includes, but is not limited to, advancing peacebuilding efforts, improving access to essential health services, supporting food production systems, improving social protection services, and mitigating climate change shocks.
The lean season food security and nutrition crisis multisectoral plan is part of the 2024 UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria.
Every year, countries in the Sahel face a difficult “off season” period between planting and harvest. During this period, food resources are insufficient, pastures for livestock are limited, and households use various coping strategies to meet their food needs.
Michael Olugbode is in Abuja
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