The German Government, World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched resilience and essential services programmes worth €40 million in the Northeast. The UNICEF representative in Nigeria Peter Hawkins said this yesterday.
He said at least 500,000 conflict-affected people will benefit from the humanitarian and development package, which he said, is aimed at enhancing peace and increasing livelihood opportunities.
The programme is also to provide education, health, nutrition, child protection, and sanitation support to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations in Borno and Yobe states.
Funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through German Development Bank, KfW, children from 0-23 months, expectant mothers, school-age children, adolescent girls, female-headed households, and people with disability will be targeted under the Resilience and Social Cohesion project to be implemented for three years by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.
The multi-year project will leverage ongoing humanitarian support in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State and Shani Local Government Area of Borno State, while also providing multi-sectoral interventions to address drivers of conflict and fragility. The project will support the strengthening of local governance structures to promote social cohesion through community-based processes and the capacity building of government partners.
In its 13th year, armed conflict in the Northeast zone has levelled communities, destroyed livelihoods, and disrupted essential services for children and adults. Protracted insecurity, high food prices and COVID-19 lockdowns have put more than four million people in need of food assistance. The situation is further exacerbated by the severe impact of violence and unrest on family income, mental health, nutrition, education and other child protection concerns.
Across the region, 1.14 million children are acutely malnourished at a scale not seen since 2018.
“This is a pathway to peace and sustainable development,” said UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins.
“Children and other vulnerable groups will have a lifeline and an opportunity to survive and thrive in communities where livelihood and peace-building activities are present.
“Conflict in any region is potential instability in the rest of the world. UNICEF is grateful to the German Government for supporting pathways to child survival and peace in north-east Nigeria,’’ he said.
The Resilience and Social Cohesion programme will contribute to seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of poverty eradication, zero hunger, access to quality education, gender equality, good health and well-being, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions as well as a partnership for goals.
The new programme will focus on peacebuilding, governance capacity strengthening, sustainable livelihood creation, restoration of infrastructure, and provision of life-saving services to 156,888 direct beneficiaries and 362,307 indirect beneficiaries in both local government areas.
Peter Hawkins said: “WFP welcomes this timely and generous support from the Government and people of Germany. This project will support people and communities facing the peril of conflict and hunger in the Northeast, especially in Borno and Yobe states,” said Ms. Simone Parchment, Deputy Country Director and Officer in Charge, the World Food Programme Country Office Nigeria.
“In these affected states, persistent conflict, climate shocks, high food prices and reduced household purchasing power undermine people’s ability to feed themselves and sustain their livelihoods. This contribution from the Government of Germany will go a long way in building resilience, social cohesion and peace in the affected communities.”