International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched the Hunger Crisis Emergency Appeal in Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched the Hunger Crisis Emergency Appeal seeking 4.1 million Swiss Francs to support the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS).
IFRC in a statement dated October 14, 2021, said the fund will help deliver humanitarian assistance to 200,000 people (33,000 households) over 18 months across seven states in Nigeria.
The Humanitarian Network added that this will address the current hunger crisis in the North West and North Central states of Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Benue, Niger, Zamfara, and Nasarawa.
Nigeria is currently facing a serious food insecurity situation as a result of the prolonged insecurity crisis in the Northwest and North Central states of the West African country characterized by banditry, abductions, and criminality.
Following this, the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRSC) and the IFRC conducted a needs assessment in six states (Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Benue, Niger, and Nasarawa).
The assessment revealed that “2.5 million people are currently facing acute hunger, with the corresponding impact expected to spill into 2022.”
In 2020, a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) earlier revealed that about 82.9 million people are living in poverty in the country.
The emergency response operation by the Nigerian Red Cross Society will, therefore, focus on the provision of services such as livelihood and basic needs assistance; health and nutrition, psychosocial support, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI).
The statement further said the “operation will build on previous and current joint actions between the IFRC, and the NRCS in supporting Nigerian communities through short to long-term interventions.”
The IFRC and NRCS which have both been active in addressing food insecurity and hunger in Nigeria will coordinate the emergency appeal in partnership with other actors in the Food Security Sector Working Group, Cash Working Group, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and other players.
