The Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Bank and the G7 countries, on Thursday, launched the famine prevention programme for the North-East.
The G7 countries, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are supporting the Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Compact with $382m (about N59.9bn), to prevent hunger occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, said it was a welcome opportunity to discuss the compact and ways to foster collaboration with Nigerian partners, the United Nations, and members of the international community.
The envoy said the G7 was concerned by the scale of the crisis in the North-East, Nigeria and the huge number of people inaccessible to humanitarian aid.
She called on the international community to act immediately, with no regrets, to prevent further decline.
Laing noted that the landmark commitment agreed by the G7 in May was critical to tackling the root causes of famine and address the sharply rising numbers of people in need of lifesaving aid.
She stated, “The compact commits G7 members to urgently provide an initial $7bn in humanitarian assistance to 42 countries one step from catastrophe or famine, with further funding to follow over the course of this year. The initial funding includes $382m for North-East Nigeria.’’
“This is not only about money. It is also about diplomatic action, smarter financing, and more effective responses to crises. As well as addressing critical funding gaps, the G7 committed to act early to avert a crisis.”
A statement by the British High Commission said the attendees stressed that humanitarian access must be improved to ensure lifesaving aid reached all conflict-affected communities.
‘’They also committed to work collectively to promote respect for and abidance to International Humanitarian Law and the protection of civilians.
“In North-East Nigeria, an estimated one million people are inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity, despite international law obligating all parties to a conflict to enable safe, sustained, and unhindered access to all civilians in need of assistance,” it noted.
Representatives of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs were in attendance, alongside officials from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe state governments.
Source: Punch
