The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has said that about 7 million Nigerians in 16 Northern States plus the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) would be in food and nutrition crisis between June and August 2020 in the CH phase 3.
This is contained in the Cadre Harmonisѐ (CH) present to stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja by the FAO.
The affected states include Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Katsina, Jigawa, FCT, Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Niger.
The FAO also said that more than 4 million people in the 16 states plus FCT are expected to be in crisis or worse through May 2020 in the CH phase 3.
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The FAO in its recommendations, called for the implementation of agricultural and non-agricultural policies to increase income-generating activities that will impact positively on food consumption, livelihood and nutrition at household level.
The FAO also said there was a need for adequate budgetary allocation for implementing CH analysis and other supporting activities at national and state levels.
The recommendation also called for a focus on addressing the key drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition (such as insecurity, conflict, poverty, inequality and constrained access to productive assets and decent employment).
“Introduce policies and programs that are crucial for improving the livelihood of the poor to improve self-reliance and reduce total reliance on food assistance as well as prevent further deterioration of the food and nutrition security situation during the clean season (June-August 2020).
“Adoption of the CH analysis result for planning and formulation of appropriate policies to address food and nutrition challenges among insecure populations and zones in concerned CH states.
“Sustain military operations in troubled areas with a view to opening up access to vulnerable populations in inaccessible and partially inaccessible areas for humanitarian assistance,” FAO recommendations said.
In a keynote address presented by the interim FAO Representative in Nigeria, Mr Alhassan Cisse, said Cadre Harmonisѐ has been a regional framework for consensual analysis of acute food insecurity situations across countries of West
Africa.
“When the Nigeria Food Security stakeholders adopted it in 2015, it has served as a decision-making tool. Therefore, it helps prevent food crisis by identifying affected areas and the populations for food and nutrition security and livelihood programming.
“I am pleased to inform you to the extent that, results from successive CH analysis in Nigeria have become the major yardstick for estimating the areas and population of vulnerable people in needs of humanitarian assistance,” he said