UN warns Nigeria of impending food crisis
The United Nations on Thursday cautioned Nigeria about impending catastrophic food insecurity if preventive measures were not scaled up and enhanced across the country.
UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said 8.7 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states needed humanitarian assistance in 2021, requiring a total of $1.01bn.
He disclosed this at the 2021 World Humanitarian Day with the theme, “Building Resilience to Climate Change: Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus and Localization”.
The event o commemorate WHD 2021 was organized in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Kallon said, “The ongoing conflict continues to be the main driver of humanitarian needs in North-East Nigeria with the several challenges, including deteriorating security situation and shrinking humanitarian space.
He further disclosed that, “about $1.01bn was required for urgent humanitarian assistance for over 8.7 million displaced persons in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states”.
Kallon however, noted that over $3.2bn was mobilized for humanitarian response in the North-East from 2017 to 2020, adding that the fund provided life saving assistance to over 5.5 million people annually.
He said the ongoing insecurity across the country had led to the displacement of 1.4 million in the North-West and over one million in North Central who were now in need of humanitarian assistance.
