Nigeria, UN Seek $306 Million To Tackle Pressing Food, Nutrition Crisis In Three States

The Federal Government, in conjunction with local and global collaborators, unveiled an appeal on Tuesday, seeking $306 million to accelerate the delivery of food aid, nutrition resources, clean water, healthcare, and protection assistance to vulnerable populations.

This follows closely behind the worsening food security and nutrition crisis in the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states during the lean season from May to September.

According to findings from the Government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis published in March this year, around 4.8 million individuals in the BAY states are experiencing severe food insecurity, representing the highest level observed in seven years.

The report highlighted that vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant and lactating women, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities are particularly at risk.

The appeal, known as the lean season food security and nutrition crisis multisector plan, aims to provide urgent interventions to 2.8 million of these individuals.

During the plan’s launch, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, emphasized that mobilizing funding and resources to tackle the lean season food security and nutrition crisis in the northeastern region is a positive step.

Umar stated that this initiative complements the Federal Government’s endeavors to prevent deaths resulting from malnutrition-related complications, the adoption of negative coping mechanisms, and various other health-related issues.

The main causes of this food and nutrition crisis, which has been made worse by skyrocketing food costs, are the ongoing violence and insecurity in the BAY states as well as the effects of climate change.

With the removal of the fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira, the cost of staple goods such as beans and corn has risen by 300 to 400 percent in the last year.

Families’ capacity to handle inflation is being surpassed by it, driving up the cost of necessities like food.

Expressing worry that the malnutrition rates are of great concern, they noted: “Approximately 700,000 children under five are projected to be acutely malnourished over the next six months, including 230,000 who are expected to be severely acutely malnourished and at risk of death if they do not receive timely treatment and nutrition support.”

In his announcement regarding the allocation of $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to initiate emergency response efforts, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall stated: “I am confident that we can address these increased needs with the support of Government efforts, what we need now are resources. Joining hands together, pooling resources, to save lives and stop the suffering.”

The Acting Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan said: “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the escalating food security crisis and nutrition crisis in the BAY States. The alarming rise in severe acute malnutrition among children underscores the urgent need for immediate action.

“This year alone, we have seen around 120,000 admissions for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding our estimated target of 90,000.

“We must ensure that lifesaving nutrition commodities reach every child in need. This is not just a call to action; it is a race against time to save lives and protect the future of millions of vulnerable children.”

Emphasizing the critical actions needed to achieve sustainable outcomes, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative ad interim in Nigeria, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, highlighted the necessity for urgent interventions to address the immediate, medium, and long-term requirements of vulnerable communities in light of the situation.

Kouacou stressed the importance of prioritizing resilience-building efforts through emergency agricultural support, encompassing the provision of seeds, fertilizer, livestock, technical training, and the promotion of agribusiness to enhance production and nutrition outcomes.