N’East Crisis: 32% of Funds Needed to Save Lives, Still Un-contributed, UN Laments

By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

United Nations has decried that 32 per cent of the fund needed to provide life-saving aids across the crisis ravaged North-east Nigeria in 2017 have not been contributed.

In the latest North-east Nigeria Situation Update released by the UN- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) revealed that an appeal of $1.05 billion was made in 2017 to reach 6.5 million people in dire need of life-saving aid across north-east Nigeria.

This made the appeal the fourth largest single-country appeal globally in 2017.

The UN in the North-east Nigeria Humanitarian Situation Update for October 2017 stated that: “As of 20 November, $715 million (68 per cent) of the needed funds have been received, according to the funding levels reported on the Financial Tracking Service (FTS).”

It said: “Since its official launch in May, the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF), one of the world’s 18 country-based pooled funds, has received $36 million, from Sweden, Germany, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Luxembourg, the Arab Gulf Program for Development, Malta, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka.”

It added, in the update, that in September, a second NHF 2017 standard allocation for $15 million was launched and was to be disbursed by the end of November 2017.

The UN also said in order to mitigate the trauma caused by conflict in the region, “Education in Emergency partners are strongly emphasizing the need to train teachers and volunteers in psycho-social support. In October, more than 2,700 teachers were trained, bringing the total to 11,500 since January.”

It said: “Given the high number of schools destroyed by the conflict in the North -east, the sector continues to focus on the rehabilitation of educational structures. In October, repairs started on 105 permanent classrooms across Borno (49), Yobe (29), and Adamawa (27).

“In addition, 118 semi-permanent classrooms (reinforced/improved temporary learning spaces) are under construction in Borno to ensure wider access to education, in Dikwa, Bama, Ngala, Rann and Gwoza, among other locations.”