The Federal Government, in partnership with national and international partners on Tuesday launched an appeal seeking US$306 million to fast-track food assistance, nutrition supplies and services, clean water, healthcare, and protection support to people in severe need during the period.
This is coming on the heels of the deteriorating food security and nutrition crisis in the BAY states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) in this lean season of May to September.
According to the Government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis released in March this year, in the BAY states, some 4.8 million people are estimated to be facing severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years.
The report noted that children, pregnant and lactating women, older persons, and people living with disabilities are among those who are most vulnerable.
The appeal, the lean season food security and nutrition crisis multisector plan, is targeting 2.8 million of these people for urgent interventions.
Speaking at the launch of the plan, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar said the mobilisation of funding and resources to address the lean season food security and nutrition crisis envisaged in the north-eastern part of the country is a step in the right direction in complementing the Federal Government's efforts to prevent the deaths of people as a result of malnutrition-related complications, adoption of negative coping mechanisms and other health-related issues, among others.
This food and nutrition crisis, which has been compounded by soaring food prices, is primarily due to continued conflict and insecurity in the BAY states, alongside climate change impacts.
The prices of staple foods like beans and maize have increased by 300 to 400 per cent over the past year following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira. Inflation is outpacing the ability of families to cope, making essential food items unaffordable.
Expressing worry that the malnutrition rates are of great concern, they noted: "Approximately 700,000 children under five are projected to be acutely malnourished over the next six months, including 230,000 who are expected to be severely acutely malnourished and at risk of death if they do not receive timely treatment and nutrition support."
Announcing the release of $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to jumpstart the emergency response, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall said, "I am confident that we can address these increased needs with the support of Government efforts, what we need now are resources. Joining hands together, pooling resources, to save lives and stop the suffering".
The Acting Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan said: "UNICEF is deeply concerned about the escalating food security crisis and nutrition crisis in the BAY States. The alarming rise in severe acute malnutrition among children underscores the urgent need for immediate action. This year alone, we have seen around 120,000 admissions for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding our estimated target of 90,000. We must ensure that lifesaving nutrition 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."
Highlighting the immediate actions that need to be taken for longer-term results, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative ad interim in Nigeria, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, said urgent interventions were required to support short-, medium- and long-term needs of vulnerable populations given the situation.
Kouacou said the focus therefore needs to be on building resilience supported by emergency agriculture, including seeds, fertilizer, livestock, technical training, and developing agribusiness for better production and better nutrition.
On his part, the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, David Stevenson, said there was a need to get out of conflict into solutions, and the solution is peace and production.
"Meanwhile, there remains a conflict in the north-east that requires our collective urgent assistance. We are prioritizing access to nutritious foods by providing cash-based transfers, specialised nutritious foods, and by supporting local food solutions."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
They also agreed that with the lean season coinciding with the rainy season, there is a need for collective efforts to improve access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene to combat the spread of infectious diseases, particularly among the more than 2 million internally displaced persons in camps and overcrowded settlements in the BAY states.
Alongside efforts to protect lives, there is also a need to strengthen people's resilience by supporting agricultural livelihoods, which sustain over 80 per cent of the vulnerable people across the BAY states.
This is the fourth time that the UN and humanitarian partners are launching an operational plan for the BAY states, pointing to the need to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.
The lean season food security and nutrition crisis multisector plan is part of the 2024 UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria.
