Nigeria, UN seeks US$306 million for urgent food, nutrition crisis response

As the food security and nutrition crisis worsens in Borno, Adamawaand Yobe (BAY) mentions this lean season (May to September), the Nigerian Government and national and international partners on Tuesday launched an appeal seeking US$ 306 million to aid food, nutrition supplies and services, clean water, health care hurry up , and protection support for people in dire need during the period.

In the BAY states, around 4.8 million people are estimated to face severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years, according to a Government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis released in March this year. Among the most vulnerable are children, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The appeal, the multi-sectoral crisis plan for food security and lean season nutritiontargeting 2.8 million of these people for emergency interventions.

Ongoing conflict and insecurity in the BAY states, combined with the impacts of climate change, has led to this food and nutrition crisis, which has seen food prices skyrocket. It threatens to become catastrophic without immediate coordinated intervention. Prices of staple foods such as beans and maize have increased by 300 to 400 percent in the past year following the removal 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. Around 700,000 children under the age of five are projected to be severely malnourished over the next six months, including 230,000 who are expected to be severely malnourished and at risk of death if they do not receive timely treatment and nutritional support.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, Zubaida Umar, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, said: “The mobilization of funding and resources to address this food security and nutrition crisis in the ongoing season is planned in the north-east of the country. It is a step in the right direction to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to prevent deaths from complications related to malnutrition, negative coping mechanisms and other health related issues.”

Announcing the release of $11 million from the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund to begin the emergency response, Mohamed Malick Fall, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said, “I am confident that we have the capacity to address these increased needs to support the Government’s efforts. We need the resources now. We need to join hands, pool resources, to save lives and stop the suffering.”

“UNICEF is deeply concerned about the growing food security and nutrition crisis in the BAY states. The alarming rise in acute malnutrition among children highlights the urgent need for immediate action. This year alone, we have seen around 120,000 admissions for treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding our estimated target of 90,000. We must ensure that lifesaving nutritional 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,” said Dr Rownak Khan, Acting UNICEF Representative for Nigeria.

While expressing the need for immediate measures to achieve longer term results, the interim Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Nigeria, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, said, “Given the urgent situation, there is a need for urgent interventions to support the short, medium and long term needs of vulnerable populations. The focus, therefore, must be on building resilience with the support of emergency agriculture, including seeds, fertiliser, livestock and technical training, and developing agribusiness for better production and better nutrition”.

David Stevenson, Country Director of the World Food Program (WFP), said: “We need to find a solution to conflict, and the solution is peace and production. Meanwhile, there is still conflict in the north-east which requires our urgent collective assistance. We are prioritizing access to nutritious foods through cash-based transfers, providing specialized nutritious foods, and supporting local food solutions.”

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As the rainy season approaches, concerted efforts to improve access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are needed to combat the spread of infectious diseases, especially among the more than two million internally displaced people in overcrowded camps and settlements in the BAY states. This is vital to help 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 that sustain over 80 percent of vulnerable people across the BAY state. Limited funding for agricultural livelihoods continues to perpetuate cyclical food insecurity.

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

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

Every year, countries in the Sahel experience a difficult “poor season” between planting and harvesting. During this time, food supplies are low, pasture for livestock is scarce, and families rely on different strategies to cope with their food needs.

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Ann Weru of OCHA, Rahat Madhok of UNICEF, Chi Lael of WFP and David Tsokar of EBT signed this press release, which was emailed to PREMIUM TIMES.