With nearly 400,000 children facing starvation in Nigeria, and citizens
suffering with little to no protection, security, food or access to clean
water, “Nigeria is facing the worst humanitarian crisis on the African
continent,” Peter Lundberg, the acting United Nations Deputy Humanitarian
Coordinator, warned today.
In a news release issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), wrapping up his first few weeks in the
position, Mr. Lundberg assured the Nigerian Government of the
international community’s commitment to working closely with federal and
state mechanisms to accelerate a collective response to the situation.
He also welcomed the recent announcement of the of the Inter-Ministerial
Task Force and High Level Humanitarian Coordination Group, and the Borno
state Humanitarian Response Committee and looked forward to seeing
“tangible impact in the coming weeks and months.”
According to Mr. Lundberg, humanitarian assistance by the Government and
the aid community is being provided to the millions of people in desperate
need despite insecurity and access constraints. However, relief agencies
should continue to maintain neutrality, impartiality and independence and
continue to work where security permits. “Needs are currently higher than
the response capacity and we must ensure that we have both access and
resources to scale up our humanitarian support in the months to come.”
Despite some very generous contributions from mechanisms such as the UN
Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and donations from the wider donor
community, the Nigerian Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016, which
requires $484 million for life-saving interventions, has only received one
third of the needed funding.
“Without the means to respond, innocent boys, girls, women and men will
die. The highest priority requirement for this response remains food
security which is just 25 per cent funded,” warned Mr. Lundberg.
He went on to note that the attacks on the humanitarian convoy on 28 July
and recent suicide bombing in Maiduguri on 12 October serve as stark
reminders “that we must not let down our guard in such a high risk
environment.” Indeed, the security of humanitarian actors remains a top
priority for the humanitarian community, he added.
At the end of his statement, Mr. Lundberg affirmed OCHA’s commitment to
support and assist international organizations with the structures and
mechanisms they require to safely carry out their work. He also noted the
recent improvements in displaced populations’ assessment, calling this
development a “springboard’ that will improve access to affected
populations.