The United Nations says at least 7.8 million Nigerians are
in need of life-saving assistance.
While addressing reporters on Tuesday, Eve Sabbagh, head of
public information unit, UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs in
Nigeria, said the coronavirus pandemic has worsened the situation of hunger.
She added that there is an urgent need to support farmers
across the country.
Sabbagh said the number of those in need of life-saving
assistance rose above 7.1 million in the mid of 2020, when compared to the
figure at the end of 2019.
“It is extremely important to have funding in time to
provide support to farmers during the planting season, as there is a risk to
see more people facing hunger this year,” she said.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic reached Nigeria, humanitarian
needs were already worsening and increased from 7.1 million people in need of
urgent life-saving assistance in 2019 to 7.8 million people in 2020.
“UN and NGOs as well as government institutions had planned
to step up their assistance in 2020. UN and partner NGOs needed $834 million to
provide urgent aid to 5.9 million people.
“We are half-way through the year and so far only 15% of the
funding has been received. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on
the economy and livelihoods, many more people need urgent assistance.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had earlier
warned that 50 millions people are at risk of food crisis in West Africa.
The 2020 global report on food crises (GRFC) had also
highlighted that about 5.1 million Nigerians are in immediate need of food
assistance between March and May 2020.
Among those in need of the assistance include 1.4 million
people in Borno, one million in Yobe and 500,000 in Adamawa.
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