The UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Peter Lundberg has said that one billion dollars are needed to provide aid for victims of Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria’s restive northeast next year.
In a statement, Lundberg appealed to international community to increase their financial aids for the rehabilitation of the victims of the conflict which he described as“the largest crisis in Africa.”
“The narrative on this humanitarian crisis can no longer be ignored and we are appealing to the international community to help us prevent the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians over the coming 12 months.
“This is the largest crisis on the African continent and I am confident that with the support of the international community and the private sector, we can begin to bring hope to the people of the northeast.”
Lundberg said that the humanitarian response plan would address the needs of almost seven million people in dire need of nutrition, food, shelter, healthcare and education.
“A projected 5.1 million people will face serious food shortages as the conflict and risk of unexploded improvised devices prevented farmers planting for a third year in a row, causing a major food crisis.”
The scale of humanitarian suffering became more apparent after Nigerian troops recaptured swathes of territory held by Boko Haram since 2015.
The Boko Haram I insurgents have waged a brutal seven-year war in Nigeria’s North East and has since spreading to Cameroon, Chad and Niger. [myad]
