UN launches fresh appeal fund for Boko Haram victims

More than one billion dollars in funding are needed this year to support 6.1 million people affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s restive north east.

The appeal was made by the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria who says 70 percent of last year’s appeal in funding was met, making Nigeria ‘one of the best-funded appeals globally.’

“The carryover from 2017 HRP to the 2018 HRP is estimated at 196 million dollars. This means this sum has already effectively been raised and allocated to the 2018 HRP. We estimate however that most of this carryover will be exhausted in the first quarter of the year. And I call upon donor representatives to start pledging resources to the 2018 humanitarian response plan (HRP),” said Edward Kallon, the humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria.

The funding would also go towards improving the quality of programmes already in place and increase the ability of local agencies to respond in the longer term.

Priority will however be given to life-saving emergency assistance in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“As of 3 years ago, access to Maiduguri alone was a major challenge. But today there are thousands of national and international staff that, owing to the significant security improvements, now reside in Maiduguri. And are able to work within a zone that is still referred to as a conflict zone,” said Zainab Ahmed, Nigeria’s Minister of state for Budget & National Planning.

The UN and other aid agencies have previously warned about the potential effects of under-funding the humanitarian response to the insurgency.

According to them, the slightest disruption of the aid process may lead to an emergency situation.