Aid Agencies Forced to Cut Funding to Nigeria

The United Nations has announced that the lack of funding from various human rights groups and international financial institutions for crucial aid programmes in Nigeria, has forced them to cut review funds being allocated to certain feeding programmes.

The north eastern parts of Nigeria will likely be the worst affected. The World Food Programme has said that close to two million people are currently living on the brink of starvation in this area.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that at least 5.2 million people in the north eastern states of Nigeria could face severe famine within the next three months.

OCHA said that feeding programmes have had to review their distribution of food, and that this will have a negative effect on the progress that these programmes have made in the past few months.

Millions of Nigerians have been displaced by Boko Haram, which has made access to food and water close to impossible in some areas.

The UN previously said that they would need US$1.05 billion in 2017 to fund essential humanitarian projects in the country. This includes food programmes, healthcare, and water and sanitation.

However, they have only managed to reach 20% of their funding goal, with US$24 million. This is what prompted them to review their distribution of food and other essentials in the country.

The UN launched yet another appeal to other humanitarian organisations and financial institutions for more funding to deter “Africa’s worst humanitarian crisis” and prevent full-blown famine in Nigeria.

The insurgency of terrorist group, Boko Haram, in these north eastern states has had a profound affect on the people living in these areas.