Insecurity: Four million people to face severe food crisis in Nigeria’s North-east soon – UN

At least 4.1 million are at the risk of facing “a severe pain” of food and nutrition crisis in the North-east region soon, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has warned.

The humanitarian organisation said this number represents about 51.19 per cent of the larger population of 8.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance in the terrorism-torn region.

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, said this last Friday in Abuja at an advocacy event on behalf of the food security and nutrition task force in North-east Nigeria, according to a statements and excerpts sent to PREMIUM TIMES by a spokesperson to the Public Information Officer, OCHA Nigeria, Christina Powell, on Tuesday.

“Across north-east Nigeria today, 8.4 million people need humanitarian assistance. Alarmingly, almost half of these crisis-affected people — 4.1 million — are expected to face the severe pain of food insecurity in the approaching lean season,” Mr Schmale said.

“In 2021, the gap between people in need and people supported by food and nutrition assistance was 1.8 million. Due to reduced funding, that number is projected to dramatically increase to 2.9 million this lean season.

“Unless resources are urgently mobilised, almost three million people in dire need of food and nutrition support will go unassisted.”

For more than a decade, the North-east has come under relentless attacks by deadly groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). The violence in the region has wreaked havoc on agricultural output and other livelihoods, cutting off crucial services, and adding to number of displaced persons.

About 8.4 million people, mostly in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, are said to be in need of humanitarian aid in the year 2022, according to UN data.

Malnutrition in children

The humanitarian coordinator said malnutrition is threatening the lives of 1.74 million children in the region as a result of the crisis.

Both Borno and Yobe states, he noted, have experienced the highest levels of violence since 2016.

Mr Schmale said up to $351 million is required to give humanitarian supplies to residents in Nigeria’s northeast.

‘This multi-sector plan has a financial requirement of $351 million and is part of the overall request of $1.1 billion for the 2022 humanitarian response plan,” he said.

“Without food assistance, desperation may compel extremely vulnerable people into transactional sex, child labour, and selling their few possessions.

“I have heard stories from last year’s lean season of people in the north-east eating grass to stay alive, and I fear the recurrence of this tragedy if we fail to act quickly,” Mr Schmale said.

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On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ernest Umakhihe, said the situation of armed bandits and kidnapping in some North-western and North-central states are key drivers and limiting factors that have impacted food security in the country.

He said, “Some key drivers and limiting factors that impacted food security in the country situation in Nigeria include the Covid-19 pandemic, likewise insecurity; especially insurgency in the North-east, armed banditry and kidnapping in North-west states as well as North Central states.

The UK high commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, remarked about her country’s commitment to providing humanitarian aid to Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.

“I am speaking on behalf of the UK but also as the charity northeast ambassador among the 14 ambassadors who are particularly engaged in the terrible crises not only in the northeast in Nigeria but also in the wider lake chad basin.

“The life-saving humanitarian crisis remains a central pillar. We need urgent action on investment to improve food security and nutrition.

“As the scale of complexity of this challenge, the risk of not acting is much higher, we would see much terrible or harmed coping strategies if we don’t act, including mass migration as while loss generation of children.

“Also, aside from increased funding, we need increased attention on this crisis in the lake chad basin. This is a crisis that generally has received less attention and less funding than others. And of course, we need to be realistic as the humanitarian emergency is gripping the world’s attention,” she said.

Ms Laing noted that, although the long-running conflict between Russia and Ukraine has put a burden on global humanitarian resources, the UK government is committed to ensuring that humanitarian relief for Ukraine does not come at the expense of other crises.

The French Ambassadress to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, reiterated her government’s commitment to address food insecurity through joint large-scale programmes with WFP, FAO and the European Union (EU).

She noted that the government is providing €166 million for food aid globally, including 50 per cent of that to Africa. Ms Blatmann also indicated that France is to support the Economic Community of West African States with funding for food aid in situations of drought.

The EU body, in its remarks, reinforced its political and financial commitment to partner countries in Africa. About €554 million in 2022 will be targeted at increasing food security in Sahel and Lake Chad.