By Samuel Oyejola
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon has said that $1billion is needed in 2018 to cater for humanitarian crisis in the North-East Nigeria.
The said amount is targeted at around 6.1 million people who are directly affected by the Boko Haram crisis in the region out of the 7.7 million affected.
Kallon made this known in Abuja during the launch of the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for North-East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe that are mostly affected by the insurgency, and the presentation of the HRP to donors and international non-governmental organizations committed to humanitarian efforts in the region.
He explained that the HRP’s objectives are to provide lifesaving assistance, render all relevant assistance that promote safety and help people of the region kick start their lives again so that they can be better prepared for any future crisis.
He said that the plan demonstrates the commitment of the international community to the people of Nigeria.
Kallon assured international donors, NGOs and the government of Nigeria that the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan would build on the success of the previous year.
He called on international donors not to relent in the efforts noting that failure to meet up with the targeted humanitarian plan would destabilize efforts and achievements of the past.
While saying that Nigeria has enjoyed endowments from international donors with 70% of needed assistance in 2017 gathered, he observed that despite the achievements of the 2017, conflicts remain in the region.
He then assured the Nigerian government and international donors that the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence would continue to guide humanitarian assistance in the zone in 2018.
The humanitarian coordinator observed that protection crisis caused by the activities of the Boko Haram terror group slipped off to food and other humanitarian crisis in the North-East region of the country.
He said that the activities of the United Nations, International Non-Governmental Organizations and donors resulted in the effective coordination of the 70% of the needed funds for the region in 2017.
While analyzing the 2018 HRP Kallon said that 3.7 million people are targeted for food security, 2.7 million people targeted for protection, 1 million children are targeted under the provision for Child Protection and 1.5 million are targeted for gender-based protection.
He also explained that 5.1 would be catered for health-wise, 2.7 million Nigerians in the region would be catered for in the area of nutritional needs while in the area of shelter and non-food items 1.3 million persons are targeted.
The UN chief said that in the areas of Education, water, sanitation and hygiene, early recovery and livelihoods, and displacement management systems 2.2 million, 2.1million 2.7million, and 0.9millon are targeted respectively.
The Minister of state for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed said that the federal government would continue to demonstrate commitment to the challenges in the North-East region of the country.
She assured the international community that the progress achieved would be maintained.
She also said that the federal government would to provide substantial resources to combat insecurity as well as for rehabilitation and reconstruction of basic infrastructure previously destroyed.
“In 2018, the focus would be on the quality of the response. The federal government of Nigeria would provide substantial resources to combat insecurity as well as for rehabilitation and reconstruction of basic infrastructure previously destroyed,” she said.