•Records $196m Shortfall In 2017, Launches 2018
Response Plan
Chioma Umeha
To meet its 2018 humanitarian intervention
programmes in the North-east where Boko Haram insurgency has affected more than
10 million people, the United Nations weekend, said it requires $1.05 billion
assistance.
The world body said the 2018 Humanitarian Response
Plan appeal was pecked at “$1.05billion, people targeted in Borno, Adamawa and
Yobe States, 6.1 million: number of partners participating in the HRP: 60,
number of projects included in HRP 173.”
The UN also disclosed that it recorded a shortfall
of $196 million in donations from the targeted $1 billion for humanitarian
intervention in the North-east of Nigeria in 2017.
Following severe humanitarian conditions and
insecurity occasioned by the insurgency, the UN in collaboration with other
international organisations and government have been actively leading in
humanitarian assistance in the North-east in the last nine years,
Edward Kallon, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in
Nigeria, who made the disclosure weekend at the launch of the 2018 Humanitarian
Response Plan for the North-east in Abuja, however announced a target of $1.05
billion for 2018.
Kallon explained that the fund which is expected
to come from about 60 donor organisations, would be expended on 173 projects
and would impact on the wellbeing of 6.1 million people in the three most
ravage states in the region; Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
He commended the partners for their contributions
and expressed optimism that through their support, the 2018 Humanitarian
Response Plan would be successful.
“In 2017, donors – who are represented here today -funded the plan generously.
“The $1 billion appeal was 70 per cent funded by
the end of the year – representing more than $740 million, a staggering amount
that actually meant that Nigeria was one of the most funded appeals globally.
“The donor commitment was extraordinarily
impressive, and one of the most remarkable I have seen in career. The total
donated to the humanitarian response last year, including HRP and non-HRP
interventions, reached $945 million.
“We have also committed this year to including any
carry over from last year, so as to be entirely transparent when it comes to
funding. The carry-over from the 2017 HRP to the 2018 HRP will be an estimated
$196 million. This means that this sum has already effectively been raised and
allocated to the 2018 HRP,” he said.
The envoy also stated that the 2018 intervention
is aimed at building on the humanitarian work carried out in previous years,
adding that it is anchored on three strategic objectives.
They include; Provision of life saving emergency
assistance to the most vulnerable people in conflict affected areas ensuring
that assistance is timely and to scale; Ensuring that all assistance promotes
the protection, safety and dignity of affected people, and is provided
equitably to women, girls, men and boys.
The third one is to assist people kick start their
lives again and also reconstruct the foundations of their lives so that they
are better prepared to face crises.
He further said the 2017 HRP provided live saving
assistance to 5.6 million people in the North East, thereby, reducing the
number of food insecure people from 5.1million to 3.9 million.
“A cholera outbreak was contained through the
innovative use of an oral vaccine. 1.3 million farmers were assisted to help
improve agricultural production. And thousands of children were supported to go
to school, against all odds,” he said.
Kallon, however, called for a political solution
to the challenges in the North-east, to prevent the crisis from degenerating in
2018.
Responding on behalf of the federal government,
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed,
thanked the international community for rallying support for Nigeria at her
time of need.
She also acknowledged efforts by the multinational
task force and the military for liberating communities hitherto in the enclave
of Boko Haram, adding that the country has now moved from acute crisis to a
situation where people are now returning to their homes.
