The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Northeast Nigeria, which was released on Friday, asks for $1.3 billion in order to provide critical lifesaving assistance to 6 million people, gistpeople reports
Citizens are suffering from the devastation caused by the ongoing 13-year non-international armed conflict.
The most recent figure represents a 500,000-person increase from the 5.5 million people identified for assistance in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in 2022.
“The massive humanitarian and protection crisis shows no signs of abating,” said Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria.
According to the official, an estimated 2.4 million people are in critical need due to conflict, disaster, and disease and require immediate assistance.
According to the UN, approximately 4.4 million people will face food insecurity during the 2023 lean season, up from 4.1 million in 2022.
Without immediate action, 4,000 people in Bama, Borno, could face ‘catastrophic’ (Phase 5) conditions, which include starvation, death, destitution, and acute malnutrition.
The number of children suffering from acute malnutrition is expected to rise to 2 million in 2023, up from 1.74 million in 2022.
According to the UN, high levels of severe acute malnutrition are expected to more than double, from 300,000 children affected last year to 697,000 this year.
“Over 80 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States are women and children. They are at a higher risk of violence, abduction, rape, and abuse, according to Schmale.
According to the UN, children, girls, women, and people with disabilities are the most vulnerable during conflicts and require additional attention, protection, and quality basic health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, and learning services.
