The United Nations is set to launch a $910 million appeal this week to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, which has been ravaged by an Islamist insurgency since 2009 and compounded by last year’s devastating floods.
About 7.8 million people in the northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe need assistance, Reuters reported. The UN’s plan focuses on providing aid to 3.6 million of the most vulnerable individuals in these regions.
The $910 million appeal marks the most expensive humanitarian crisis in West and Central Africa, surpassing those in Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, according to UN documents.
The United Nations has also stressed that the crisis in Nigeria’s northeast risks being overshadowed by global attention shifting to other emergencies, such as those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.
A joint report by the Nigerian government and the United Nations in November shows that the country is grappling with one of its worst hunger crises, with over 30 million people projected to face food insecurity this year.
President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of a fuel subsidy and the elimination of foreign exchange controls, have been criticized for exacerbating Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Inflation has remained in double digits, reaching 34.80% in December, while unemployment remains high, further driving up the overall cost of living.
Despite these hardships, Tinubu maintains that these reforms are essential for placing the economy on a more sustainable path to growth.
