UN seeks $4.7bn to assist 21m IDPs across Nigeria, Sahel region

Onome Amuge

A recent report issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has revealed the urgent need for humanitarian aid of $4.7 billion to assist an estimated 20.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, Chad, and five other African countries.

The “2024 Humanitarian Needs and Requirement Overview” report, published on the OCHA website, highlighted the dire humanitarian needs facing millions of people across the African continent, urging the international community to give generously to ensure the region’s humanitarian response plans can be implemented fully by the end of the year.

The UN agency lamented that the lives of 32.8 million people in the Sahel region are being significantly impacted by a complex and intertwined web of crises, which are being further worsened by regional instability, a deteriorating security situation, and the disastrous consequences of climate change.

These overlapping crises, the report warned, are pushing millions of vulnerable people in the Sahel region into ever deeper humanitarian needs and urgent calls for humanitarian assistance and protection services.

The Sahel is a region in Africa, situated between the arid Sahara Desert to the north and the tropical savannas to the south. It encompasses eight countries in West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

The OCHA report highlighted the worrisome reality facing many in the Sahel region, as an alarming rise in violence and conflict has led to numerous lives being threatened and livelihoods being devastated, forcing families to abandon their homes in a desperate bid for safety.

According to the United Nations, 7.9 million people in the Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe are in urgent need of assistance. The agency aims to provide humanitarian aid to 4.4 million of the most vulnerable individuals in these areas with the required funding of $926.5 million.

OCHA’s report disclosed that 2.2 million children in the conflict-torn regions of Nigeria have been deprived of their fundamental right to education due to the closure of schools, while 1,263 health centres remain closed, rendering vital medical services inaccessible.

The report also noted that in addition to the high number of internally displaced people, estimated at 5.6 million individuals who have been forced to abandon their homes, the region also plays host to refugees and asylum seekers, totaling approximately two million people.

“Humanitarian partners require US$ 4.7 billion in 2024 to meet the urgent needs of 20.9 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon’s Far North Region, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria’s Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

“The OCHA is warning that lives are at risk unless humanitarians are given the resources needed to respond to these crises and support the region’s most vulnerable people,” the report read.

Charles Bernimolin, the regional head of OCHA, underlined the critical role that humanitarians and international partners play in providing much-needed assistance during times of crisis. He emphasised that the lack of sufficient resources remains a significant obstacle in responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, yet he expressed optimism in the capacity of international partners to intervene and provide aid to those in desperate need.

“Humanitarians across the Sahel are doing extraordinary work, often in the most challenging circumstances. But the tangled web of crises that are faced is more complex than ever. Yet without the resources needed to respond to their needs, these crises will continue to escalate and spread, eroding resilience and putting the lives of vulnerable children, women and men at risk.”

“Moreover, given that humanitarian action alone is not a long-term solution, I would also urge international partners to continue to engage with the region, to create durable solutions that will reduce humanitarian needs in the future,“ he stated.

According to the latest statistics released by the United Nations, humanitarian partners managed to deliver life-saving assistance and protection services to over 15.6 million people across the Sahel region in 2023. However, despite their best efforts, millions of vulnerable individuals were left without the essential aid they required, as funding for the humanitarian response in the Sahel region fell far short of the target. In fact, just 41 percent of the required funding was received in 2023, leaving many in desperate need without the necessary support.

The UN disclosed that as of 3 June 2024, the humanitarian funding requirements of the six 2024 country response plans for the Sahel region had only been met to the tune of 16 percent. It noted that this limited funding puts the very survival of millions of people in the Sahel region at great risk, as aid operations may be forced to shut down if additional support is not secured promptly.

The UN warned that should humanitarian assistance be withdrawn or significantly reduced, the consequences for vulnerable communities across the Sahel region could be disastrous, potentially leading to a catastrophic loss of life and further suffering for those already struggling to survive.