The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a US$ 1 million contribution by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to severely food-insecure people in northwest Nigeria.
According to a statement by WFP National Communications Officer, Dr Kelechi Onyemaobi, under this initiative, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and WFP will provide food and nutrition assistance to 14,000 people in Katsina and Sokoto States over a period of six months.
The statement added that “livelihoods assistance and psycho-social support will also be provided to promote social cohesion and peace among crisis-affected communities.”
“With rising food costs, and inflation running above 30 per cent, the highest level in 30 years, this partnership comes at a time of great need for humanitarian assistance in Nigeria”, said David Stevenson WFP’s Country Director and Representative in Nigeria.
“The ECOWAS contribution underscores the efforts of the humanitarian agencies and the government authorities in tackling the scourge of conflict and hunger in northern Nigeria. Together, we are creating sustainable solutions that will ensure long-term food security and resilience in the region.”
The statement noted that “rising inflation, conflict and high food prices across the country have left millions of people in Nigeria struggling to feed themselves with the Northwest region now having the highest number of hungry people in the country.
“The March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis projected that the number of hungry people could reach 6 million during the June-August 2024 lean season – a sharp increase of over 30 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Child malnutrition is also running very high in the northwest, with some 4 million children acutely malnourished.”
“ECOWAS has reaffirmed its dedication to alleviating the suffering of people impacted by humanitarian crises,” said Prof Fatou Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, is committed to ameliorating the plight of the vulnerable, bearing in mind the socio-economic challenges faced by communities due to insecurity, poverty, conflicts and natural disasters,” said Abel Enitan, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Overall, in Nigeria, WFP is providing food and nutrition assistance to 1.2 million people in the conflict-affected Northeastern States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, and supporting some 200,000 vulnerable people in the Northwest.
