As the food security and nutrition crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States (BAY) worsens, the Federal Government and international partners are committed to providing food assistance, nutrition supplies and Launched an appeal for US$306 million to fast-track food aid. Provide services, clean water, medical care and protection assistance to people in critical need during this period.
This is contained in a statement released by the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Approximately 4.8 million people in the Bay State are estimated to face severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years, according to a government-led executive harmonized analysis released in March. ing.
Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly and people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable.
The appeal is a multi-sectoral plan for low-season food security and nutrition crises, targeting 2.8 million of these people for emergency intervention.
This food and nutrition crisis, exacerbated by soaring food prices, is largely due to ongoing conflict and insecurity in Bay State, as well as the effects of climate change.
Without immediate and coordinated intervention, the situation could be catastrophic. Prices of staple foods such as beans and maize have increased by 300 to 400 percent in the past year due to the removal of fuel subsidies and the depreciation of the naira. Inflation is outpacing families’ ability to cope, leaving them unable to afford essentials.
Malnutrition rates are a major concern. Approximately 700,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition over the next six months, of which 230,000 will suffer from severe acute malnutrition and will need timely treatment and nutritional support. They are expected to be at risk of death.
Speaking at the launch of the plan, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director-General Zubaydah Umar said: This is a step in the right direction to complement the federal government’s efforts to prevent people from dying, especially from complications related to malnutrition, the introduction of negative coping mechanisms, and other health-related problems. ”
Announcing $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to jump-start the emergency response, UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malik Fall said: What we need now is resources. Let’s join hands and pool our resources to save lives and stop suffering. ”
“UNICEF is deeply concerned about the escalating food security and nutrition crisis in the Bay State. The alarming rise in severe acute malnutrition among children calls for urgent action. It highlights something.
“This year alone, around 120,000 patients were admitted to hospital for treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding the estimated target of 90,000.
“We must ensure that life-saving nutritional supplies reach every child in need. This is more than just a call to action. It is a race against time to secure the future of children in the world,” said Dr. Rownak Khan, UNICEF Acting Representative in Nigeria.
Underscoring the need for immediate action to achieve long-term results, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Interim Representative in Nigeria, Dominic Kofi-Kuaku, said: “Given the urgent situation, the short-term, medium-term Urgent intervention is needed to support the – and the long-term needs of vulnerable people.
Therefore, there is a need to focus on building resilience, supported by emergency agriculture such as seeds, fertilizers, livestock and technical training, and developing agribusiness for better production and better nutrition. ”
“We need to move beyond conflict and look for solutions, and those solutions are peace and production,” said World Food Program (WFP) Country Director David Stevenson.
Meanwhile, conflict continues in the Northeast and our collective emergency support is needed. We prioritize access to nutritious food by providing cash-based transfers, special nutritious food and supporting local food solutions. ”
As the low season coincides with the rainy season, collective efforts are being made to improve access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, especially among the more than 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), to combat the spread of infectious diseases. Efforts are needed. in camps and overcrowded settlements in the Bay State.
This is critical to breaking the cycle of life-threatening disease and malnutrition in young children and other vulnerable populations.
Alongside life-saving efforts, we must also strengthen people’s resilience by supporting agricultural livelihoods, which support more than 80 percent of vulnerable people across the Bay State.
Limited funding for agricultural livelihoods perpetuates cyclical food insecurity.
This is the fourth time the United Nations and humanitarian partners have launched an operational plan for Gulf countries that highlights 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, strengthening social protection services, and mitigating the shocks of climate change. not.
The low season food security and nutrition crisis multi-sectoral plan is part of the United Nations-coordinated Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan 2024.
