Nigeria and UN request US$306 million for emergency food and nutrition crisis response

As the food security and nutrition crisis worsens in Borno, Adamawaand Yobe (Bay) State, this lean season (May to September), the Nigerian government and domestic and international partners on Tuesday announced plans to fast-track food assistance, nutritional supplies and services, clean water and health care. A lawsuit has been launched seeking USD 306 million. , protection support for people who need serious support during the period.

A government-led executive harmonized analysis released in March of this year estimates that approximately 4.8 million people in the Bay State face severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years. There is. Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly and people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable. appeal, Multi-sectoral planning for food security and nutrition crisis during low seasonOf these, 2.8 million people are targeted for emergency intervention.

This food and nutrition crisis, exacerbated by soaring food prices, is primarily due to ongoing conflict and insecurity in the Bay State, alongside 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. Rising 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.

Zubaydah Umar, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, said at the launch of the plan: “The mobilization of funds and resources to address the food security and nutrition crisis envisaged in the northeastern part of the country during this lean season. , is a step in the right direction to complement the federal government’s efforts to prevent people from dying as a result of 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. We need to work together 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. This highlights that this year alone, approximately 120,000 patients were hospitalized 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 a call to action; it will save lives and millions of vulnerable children. It is a race against time to protect our future,” said Dr. Rownak Khan, UNICEF Acting Representative in Nigeria.

Underscoring the need for immediate action to achieve long-term results, Dominic Kofi-Kuaku, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) interim representative for Nigeria, said: medium- and 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. ”

World Food Program (WFP) Country Director David Stevenson said: “We need to move out of conflict and seek solutions, and those solutions are peace and production. Meanwhile, conflict remains in the Northeast.” We need our collective emergency support. We can provide nutritious food by providing cash-based transfers, special nutritious food and supporting local food solutions. We prioritize access to

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Improving access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, especially among the more than 2 million internally displaced people in camps and shelters, to combat the spread of infectious diseases as the low season coincides with the rainy season We need a collective effort to do so. 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, highlighting 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.

Also read: Two scientists named 2024 World Food Prize winners

The Lean Season Food Security and Nutrition Crisis Multi-Sector Plan is part of the United Nations-coordinated Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan 2024.

Countries in the Sahel region each year face a difficult “lean season” between planting and harvest. During this period, food supplies are scarce, pasture for livestock is scarce, and households rely on different coping strategies to meet their food needs.