Nigeria’s northeast faces imminent hunger and death crisis, UN agency says, amid funding constraints
Citing lack of adequate funding, the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA, has warned of an impending severe food crisis in northeastern Nigeria which may increase hunger and mass death among the population.
In April, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Nigerian government launched a joint appeal for $306 million to support 2.8 million people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, which have been devastated by a 15-year-long insurgency.
The appeal comes as the region faces a lean season characterised by severe food shortages, exacerbating the already dire situation.
Despite an initial $11 million promise from Nigeria and an additional $11 million from the UN central pool, OCHA chief Mohamed Malick Fall told Reuters news agency that the aim remained challenging due to hesitation among international donors.
He stressed that the agency is hoping to receive only $300 million in what represents a significant fall from the $500 million secured last year.
The UN official further blamed the decline in the humanitarian commitment to the economic impact of COVID-19 on major donors including the raging conflict in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan which emerged in the past two years.
The condition in the poor northern region is made worse by Nigeria’s inflation exceeding 33% and food prices soaring above 40%.
OCHA warns of “catastrophic” impacts of food insecurity in Nigeria’s northeast without immediate intervention.
