UN seeks $4.7bn for 21m Nigerian IDPs, others
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that humanitarian partners will need $4.7 billion to support 20.9 million vulnerable people in Nigeria, Chad, and five other African countries.This was revealed in its 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Requirement Overview report, which was posted on its website on Thursday.
The Sahel is an African region that divides the Sahara Desert to the north and tropical savannas to the south, encompassing Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.
The OCHA urged the international community to make substantial contributions to ensure that the region's humanitarian response plans are properly executed by the end of the year.
According to the UN, 32.8 million people in the Sahel are afflicted by a complex and interconnected web of crises, compounded by instability, decreasing security, and the effects of climate change.
According to the statement, the situation has left them in need of humanitarian help and protection services.
It underlined that escalating violence and conflict in the Sahel region endanger lives and livelihoods, forcing families to evacuate their homes and restricting access to essential social services.
The UN highlighted that 7.9 million people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are in need, but the organization will target 4.4 million individuals with $926.5 million in financing.
It also revealed that 2.2 million children in the area have been denied the right to an education as a result of school closures, 1,263 health centers have been closed, and the region is home to two million refugees and asylum seekers, as well as 5.6 million internally displaced people, many of whom have been relocated multiple times.
"Humanitarian partners need $4.7 billion by 2024 to satisfy the urgent needs of 20.9 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon's Far North Region, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria's Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
"The OCHA warns that lives are in danger until humanitarians are given the resources needed to respond to these crises and support the region’s most vulnerable people,” the report read.
According to the research, Burkina Faso and Nigeria had the biggest number of internally displaced persons, with over 2.1 million each as of April 30, 2024.
"5.6 million of the 7.6 million individuals affected as of April 30, 2024, were internally displaced. In West and Central Africa, children make up more than half of all refugees and asylum seekers. As of April 30, 2024, Burkina Faso and Nigeria had nearly 2.1 million internally displaced people each, while Chad had the most refugees and asylum seekers at 1.2 million. The resumption of conflict in Sudan has already prompted more than 500,000 Sudanese to seek sanctuary in neighboring Chad, and this number is likely to increase further unless the situation there stabilizes,” it said.
The regional head of OCHA, Charles Bernimolin, explained that the work of humanitarians and international partners during a crisis cannot be overemphasized.
The regional head of OCHA, Charles Bernimolin, explained that the work of humanitarians and international partners during a crisis cannot be overemphasized.
He emphasized that a lack of necessary resources remains a serious barrier to tackling the humanitarian issue.
He did, however, express confidence in the ability of his international partners to intercede.
"Humanitarians throughout the Sahel are performing incredible work, often in the most difficult situations. However, the tangled network of challenges that we face is more complex than ever. However, without the resources required to address their needs, these crises will continue to worsen and spread, weakening resilience and endangering the lives of vulnerable children, women, and men.
"Moreover, given that humanitarian action alone is not a long-term solution, I would also urge international partners to continue to engage with the region, to create durable solutions that will reduce humanitarian needs in the future," he said.
According to UN data, humanitarian partners provided life-saving aid and protection services to over 15.6 million people in the Sahel region in 2023.
However, millions of people were left without crucial assistance because only 41% of the funds required was received last year.
According to the UN, "As of June 3, 2024, 16% of the humanitarian funding requirements of the six 2024 country response plans had been met." If assistance operations fail, millions of lives will be jeopardized across the Sahel.
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