The United Nations, through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, has said that it is set to boast the reproductive health care of at least a hundred and thirty thousand women and adolescent girls in Borno state.
With the recent allocation of $13.4 million to help the people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in crisis-hit north-east Nigeria, a hundred and twenty five thousand people will equally be assisted to get safe drinking water in Borno state.
The humanitarian emergency in northeastern Nigeria especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa is one of the most severe in the world today, with 8.5 million people in need of life-saving aid as at December 2017.
The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) allocation will help address this devastating situation by financing 24 projects in the sectors of protection, nutrition, water and sanitation, health, education, shelter and non-food items, rapid response and early recovery, targeting a total of 950,000 people.
A release made by Biodun Banire of the office of the United Nations OCHA said that in line with commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit, this year in Europe, five local responders are being supported through direct funding in this allocation.
By empowering national partners, a more integrated and localized response will be possible, and their capacity will also be strengthened from the proposal.
According to Edward Kallon, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria. “The United Nations and our partners, in support of the Government of Nigeria, are committed to assisting those in need, especially in pivotal areas such as protection and health.”
In particular, the funds will be used to expand and improve sexual and reproductive health services for nearly 130,000 women and adolescent girls in Borno, the epicentre of the crisis, and boosting of mental health services for vulnerable children, women and men.
Gender-based violence will also be addressed by providing more accessible medical care especially to women and children suffering from childhood illnesses.
In light of the recent cholera outbreak and to mitigate the risk of faecal contamination and poor hygiene, funds have also been allocated to improve the availability of safe water and sanitation for 125,000 people.
The NHF is one of 18 country-based pooled funds and was launched during the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region in February 2017.
Managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator, it plays a vital role in ensuring an effective, coordinated, prioritized and principled humanitarian response in Nigeria.
To date the NHF has received $41 million in contributions and pledges, thanks to the generous support of Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Spain, Luxembourg, the Arab Gulf Program for Development, Malta, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka.
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