UN Steps Up Flood Relief In Nigeria With US$5 Million Allocation

• Borno, Bauchi, Sokoto Receive Emergency Aid As Flooding Crisis Worsens

The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated an additional US$5 million to aid flood-stricken communities in Borno, Bauchi, and Sokoto states in Nigeria. This comes as the country grapples with widespread flooding, exacerbated by the peak of the rainy season.

The floods have claimed over 300 lives and affected 1.2 million people across 31 states. The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) reports extensive damage to croplands, threatening food security in a country already facing significant economic hardship.

“Floods across Nigeria have created a crisis within a crisis,” stated Mohamed Malick Fall, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria.

“Millions were already facing food insecurity, and the floods have compounded their suffering.”

The newly allocated funds will provide critical assistance to 280,000 people in Borno, Bauchi, and Sokoto. Aid will focus on:

• Food Security: Providing food aid, clean water, and sanitation support.
• Health: Bolstering access to healthcare and preventing waterborne diseases like cholera.
• Livelihoods: Implementing multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) and cash for work programs to help affected individuals earn an income.
• Protection: Providing services to women, girls, and those with disabilities, including support for gender-based violence (GBV).

Despite this allocation, the UN emphasizes that more resources are needed to address the full extent of the crisis.

Donors, development partners, and the private sector are urged to contribute additional funds as the emergency response transitions to the recovery phase in some affected areas.

The CERF allocation complements a previous $6 million allocation from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) for Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, where over 500,000 people have been impacted by floods.

Borno, the state most severely affected by flooding, has seen over 400,000 people displaced, including many vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Urgent assistance is needed for protection services, food, clean water, sanitation, and recovery support.

This news highlights the growing humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, demanding a concerted global response to aid the millions affected by the devastating floods.