The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed grave concern over the escalating malnutrition crisis in Nigeria’s northeast.
Nearly a quarter of a million children, approximately 230,000, are at risk of severe acute malnutrition during the current lean season across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
OCHA reiterated the urgent need for immediate funding to facilitate early action and an effective response to this worsening crisis.
To address this emergency, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has allocated $11 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide cash assistance and other critical support, including treatment for acutely malnourished children, to the most vulnerable households.
An additional $11 million will be contributed by the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund.
This year, northeast Nigeria has witnessed a sharp increase in severe acute malnutrition, with admissions to stabilization centres surpassing 2023 levels by over 50 per cent—the highest on record.
The surge has depleted existing supplies, and the lack of resources threatens the closure of many stabilization centres.
”While the new allocations from CERF and the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund will provide short-term relief, substantial additional funding is urgently needed to sustain response efforts through September, when the lean season ends.
”The 2024 humanitarian appeal for Nigeria remains critically underfunded.
”Nearly halfway through the year, the response plan has received just over 20 per cent of the required funds, amounting to roughly $190 million out of the nearly $927 million needed.
”Without significant and timely contributions, the lives of countless children and vulnerable families in north-east Nigeria hang in the balance,” OCHA lamented.
OCHA called on the international community to step up and provide the necessary resources to combat this escalating humanitarian crisis.
Recall that the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), recently committed approximately $176 million in additional humanitarian aid to Nigeria, Mali, and other countries in West Africa.
In a statement released, USAID said the funding aims to address the severe humanitarian crises exacerbated by conflict, food insecurity, and displacement in the region.
“The funds will be disbursed through the United Nations and various partners, including the UN World Food Program, UNICEF, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,” USAID stated.
