The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has disclosed that, as of July 2024, 257 humanitarian organizations have received N1,292,830,000,000 ($805 million) for their ongoing assistance to approximately six million vulnerable people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad.
This was announced in a statement posted on the UN website on August 1, 2024.
The UN explained that in the Lake Chad basin, where the affected countries are located, the complex and multifaceted cross-border crisis has been compounded by a number of interconnected factors that exacerbate the volatile situation in the region.
According to the UN agency, vulnerable populations in the region continue to face severe food insecurity and malnutrition, while access to basic services has worsened since the last reporting period.
It added that over six million people will be in crisis if no action is taken to alleviate the situation, highlighting that there have been 21,286 admissions for severe acute malnutrition and 1,874 schools are currently non-functional.
However, it was revealed that 257 humanitarian organizations are making efforts to assist the vulnerable, having accessed $805 million so far as of July 2024, from the UN and its partners.
One dollar amounts to N1,606 according to the official rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria (as of August 5, 2024).
The statement said:
“Despite the challenging operating environment, 257 humanitarian organizations are providing assistance to six million vulnerable people.
“As of July 30, these organizations have received US$805 million, or 26 per cent of the funding needed to implement their plans through 2024.”
The organizations identified in an infographic on the UN website include National NGOs (150), International NGOs (64), Government (22), UN Agencies (12), the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (6), and others (3).
These organizations are operating in parts of Cameroon (Far North region), Chad (Lac region), Niger (Diffa region), and Nigeria (Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states).
A further breakdown of the funding showed that organizations operating in Nigeria received $239 million, in Chad $271 million, in Niger $192 million, and in Cameroon $103 million.
As disclosed on the UN website, the number of internally displaced persons remains high but stable, with 2.9 million internally displaced people, including 2.1 million in Nigeria.
It added that the number of refugees has increased by 2 per cent over the previous period to 272,300.
“There were 299 security incidents between April and June, compared with 415 between February and April 2024, a decrease of 116 incidents.
“Similarly, the number of people killed fell from 521 to 186, a significant drop of 335 people,” the statement partly reads.
OCHA stated on June 6, 2024, that humanitarian partners would need $4.7 billion to assist 20.9 million vulnerable people in parts of Nigeria, Chad, and five other African countries.
According to the UN agency, the lives of 32.8 million people across the Sahel are affected by unsavoury developments linked to a deteriorating security situation, and the effects of climate change.
Data from the UN showed that humanitarian partners provided lifesaving assistance and protection services to more than 15.6 million people across the Sahel in 2023.
However, millions were left without vital aid as only 41 per cent of the funding needed was received last year.
