Nigeria and the UN request $306 million for urgent food and nutrition crisis responses

With worsening food security and nutrition crisis in Borno, Adamawaand Yobe (BAY) states that this lean season (May to September), the Government of Nigeria and national and international partners on Tuesday launched an appeal seeking $306 million for accelerated food assistance, nutrition supplies and services, clean water, healthcare and protection support for people in serious need during this period.

In the BAY states, some 4.8 million people are estimated to be experiencing severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years, according to the government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis published in March this year. Children, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and people with disabilities are among those most vulnerable. The profession, the multi-sectoral plan for food security and nutritional crisis in the lean seasontargets 2.8 million of these people for urgent interventions.

This food and nutrition crisis, which has been exacerbated by rising food prices, is mainly due to ongoing conflict and insecurity in the BAY states, in addition to the impacts of climate change. It threatens to become catastrophic without immediate and coordinated intervention. Prices of staple foods like beans and corn have risen by 300 to 400 percent in the past year due to the abolition of the fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira. Inflation is outpacing families’ ability to cope, making essential food items unaffordable.

Malnutrition rates are a major concern. About 700,000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished in 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 nutritional support.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, said: “The mobilization of financing and resources to address this lean season food security and nutrition crisis expected in the northeastern part of the country is a step in the right direction to complement the federal government’s efforts to prevent human deaths from malnutrition-related complications, the adoption of negative coping mechanisms and other health-related issues.”

Announcing the release of $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to kick-start relief efforts, Mohamed Malick Fall, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said: “I am confident that we will be able to to meet these increased needs in support of the Government’s efforts. What we need now are resources. We must join hands, pool resources, to save lives and end suffering.”

“UNICEF is deeply concerned about the escalating food security and nutrition crisis in the BAY States. The alarming increase in severe acute malnutrition among children underlines the urgent need for immediate action. This year alone we have seen approximately 120,000 admissions for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding our estimated target of 90,000. We must ensure that life-saving nutritional products reach every child in need. This isn’t just a call to action; it is a race against time to save lives and protect the future of millions of vulnerable children,” said Dr. Rownak Khan, Acting Representative of UNICEF Nigeria.

Dominique Koffy Kouacou, Interim Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Nigeria, stressed the need for immediate action for longer-term results: “Given the urgent situation, urgent interventions are needed to address short-term needs medium and long term of vulnerable population groups. The focus should therefore be on building resilience, supported by emergency agriculture, including seeds, fertilizers, livestock and technical training, and developing the agricultural industry for better production and better nutrition.”

World Food Program (WFP) Country Director David Stevenson said: “We need to avoid conflict and look for solutions, and the solution is peace and production. Meanwhile, a conflict persists in the Northeast that requires our collective urgent assistance. We prioritize access to nutritious food by offering cash, specialist nutritious food and supporting local food solutions.”

---

As the lean season coincides with the rainy season, there is a need for collective efforts to improve access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, especially among the more than two million internally displaced people in camps and overcrowded settlements in the BAY states. This is crucial to break the vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition that threatens the lives of young children and other vulnerable people.

In addition to efforts to protect lives, there is also a need to strengthen people’s resilience by supporting agricultural livelihoods, which support over 80 percent of vulnerable people in the BAY states. Limited agricultural livelihood financing continues to perpetuate cyclical food insecurity.

This is the fourth time that the UN and humanitarian partners have launched an operational plan for the BAY states, highlighting the need to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting peacebuilding efforts, improving access to essential health care services, supporting food production systems, improving social protection services, and mitigating climate change shocks.

READ ALSO: Two scientists have been named Laureates of the 2024 World Food Prize

The Lean Season Food Security and Nutrition Crisis Multisector Plan is part of the 2024 UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria.

Every year, countries in the Sahel face a difficult period between planting and harvesting. During this time, food supplies are low, grazing land for livestock is scarce, and households rely on different coping strategies to meet their food needs.

=====================================

This press statement, emailed to PREMIUM TIMES, was jointly signed by Ann Weru of OCHA, Rahat Madhok of UNICEF, Chi Lael of WFP and David Tsokar of FAO.