By The G7 nations have pledged $382 million to address the escalating food crisis and famine in Nigeria’s northeast region and to address the root causes.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, made this known during a meeting with stakeholders and the federal government on the launch of the G7 Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Compact, on Thursday in Abuja.
According to her, the humanitarian concerns in Nigeria’s northeast are growing, prompting the G-7 to commit to addressing the issue in order to combat the famine.
“We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the North East where 8.7 million people need assistance, and 1.9 million people have been displaced because of the conflict, with another 300,000 having fled to neighboring countries.
“As a result of the conflict, we continue to see alarming rates of malnutrition and elevated risks of famine across parts of the Northeast.
“Through the G7, our countries have committed to act now to avert further crisis. This landmark commitment agreed in May by the G7 is critical to the needs and tackling the root cause of famine.
“This is not only about money, it is also about diplomatic actions, smarter financing and more effective approaches to crises.
“The G7 has agreed to urgently provide an initial $7 billion US dollars in humanitarian assistance. This includes $382 million US dollars desperately needed in Nigeria’s North East,” she said.
Laing added that in 2016, 2017, international engagements responded to food insecurity alerts and averted a famine in the North East, citing that with conditions returning to similar levels today, the G-7 and FG must act early with no regrets to save lives and tackle the drivers of acute food insecurity.
She also stated that the G-7 will continue to support governments to address crises and tackle conflicts, including working in close partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the State Governors of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
