With the situation in Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon deteriorating due to Boko Haram violence, the European Commission has announced an additional €12.5 million in humanitarian aid to support people in the region.
With over 2 million people displaced and facing a deteriorating humanitarian crisis, the emergency assistance will help vulnerable populations in the Lake Chad region. €9 million will be provided to support people in Nigeria, €2 million in Cameroon and €1.5 million in Niger.
Violence by the terrorist group Boko Haram from northern Nigeria has severely destabilised the Lake Chad region, causing the displacement of millions of people.
"When travelling to the region last month, I witnessed the plight of people in the Lake Chad Basin. Millions have been displaced and the number of those struggling to find food is increasingly alarming. As always, children are hit the hardest and we must urgently intervene to stop their suffering.This additional EU funding will focus on emergency assistance, primarily in the areas of food and nutrition, water and sanitation, and health. All efforts should be made to ensure that humanitarian organisations can safely reach those who need urgent help.
Nigeria is the worst hit country by the regional humanitarian crisis. The United Nations estimates over 7 million Nigerians have been affected by the conflict in the north-east of the country alone – including over 2 million displaced who rely on humanitarian assistance to survive.
Some 4.4 million Nigerians are estimated to be severely food insecure in the north-east of the country.
The number of children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition is reported to be particularly alarming –at least 244,000 are estimated to be affected in the state of Borno alone. Aid agencies are reporting that one in five children may die if not provided with urgent life-saving treatment.
While the needs are immense, providing humanitarian assistance in Nigeria and the region as a whole remains challenging as demonstrated by the attack against humanitarian responders in north-east Nigeria only last week.
Source: European Commission
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