By: Mercy Peter
The European Union has announced the allocation of the sum of €500,000 ( approximate N900 million) for humanitarian aid in the Northeast of Nigeria.
The support is to provide emergency assistance to children and mothers suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The funding is to support the Nigeria Red Cross Society in providing emergency assistance to 170,000 households affected by risk of malnutrition in the Nine northern states.
EU said the aid is to focus on lifesaving activities for over 30.000 children in urgent need of treatment, including Community outreach, outpatient care, fusing ready-to-use therapeutic food.
“This initiative aims to not only address the immediate needs of affected families but also improve their medium-term resilience through health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions,” a statement by Mr. Modestus Chukwulaka, Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS stated.
The funding is part of the EU’s contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
An estimated 5.44 million children under five in northeastern Nigeria are acutely malnourished, with 2 million projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in the Northeast (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States) and Northwest (Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States) of Nigeria.
“The nutrition crisis is worsening, driven by ongoing conflict and growing insecurity. This has led to prolonged displacement, a loss of livelihoods, and a significant reduction in vulnerable families’ access to essential healthcare services.
“Compounding this situation are economic pressures and climate-related shocks such as flooding, as well as suboptimal maternal and child feeding practices,” the statement stressed.
