According to the United Nations, Nigeria needs $42m to avert nutrition crisis in north-eastern Nigeria
The United Nations office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has called for urgent intervention to curtail food and nutrition crisis in the north-eastern Nigeria. According to the agency, about 3 million Nigerians are in serious need of food and nutrition.
According to the fact sheet report of the office, the estimate of the number of people facing critical food and nutrition insecurity was reached following recent assessments exercise in the area.
As of June, 2018, humanitarian situation report showed that not fewer than 1.7 million persons were displaced by the conflict in the region in the past nine years.
The UN office said that humanitarian actors and partners were carrying out a re-targeting exercise in Borno and Yobe to ensure that the most vulnerable people receive food assistance.
It added that the office had adopted a contingency response plan for the expected high level displacement due to military operations to cop with the situation.
“About USD41.7 million is urgently needed to ensure sufficient preparedness and response activities to facilitate life-saving assistance for the new arrivals,” it said.
Part of the contingency package includes healthcare, food, water and sanitation, protection and nutrition.
The agency is already mobilising resources for its rainy season contingency plan to support 463,000 vulnerable persons in extreme weather localities such as Bama, Damasak and Rann.
OCHA further noted that it had already commenced distribution of life-saving items including food, seeds, medicines, emergency shelter, non-food items and hygiene kits.
The UN humanitarian body expressed satisfaction with effective response to control cholera outbreak in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, recorded between February and May, 2018.