U.N. doubles humanitarian appeal for northeastern Nigeria to $1 billion

Record ID: 75270

  • Title: U.N. doubles humanitarian appeal for northeastern Nigeria to $1 billion
  • Date: 2nd December 2016
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (DECEMBER 02, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS AND NIGERIAN MINISTER OF STATE FOR BUDGET AND NATIONAL PLANNING, ZAINAB AHMED SITTING U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OFFICIAL, BRUNO LEMARQUIS AND U.N WOMEN OFFICIAL FABRIZIA FALCIONE PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. DEPUTY HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA, PETER LUNDBERG, SAYING: "We identified 8.5 million people in critical need in the three states that I just mentioned but we will target 6.9 million people and we will do that, (which) requires 1 billion U.S. dollars for next year. That is a fivefold increase compared to the initial appeal of 2016. It is a more than a doubling compared to the outcome of the appeal for 2016." U.N. OFFICIALS LISTENING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL DIVISION AT U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (UNOCHA), JOHN GING, SAYING: "We will be turning to the international community, the countries who have the means to support financially these operations and now is the time for them to step up. Yes indeed at one billion dollars that is a lot of money but for a rich world which has a GDP of over 70 trillion dollars it's a very small amount of money." U.N. OFFICIALS AND ZAINAB AHMED SITTING U.N. OFFICIALS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL DIVISION AT U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (UNOCHA), JOHN GING, SAYING: "So that is going to be something that we would be taking back to our capitals with a lot of energy and a lot of urgency that the money, the financial resources required to capacitate the international response is delivered immediately because it's needed now and all delays will cost lives. Let's be clear about that. People will die and people will suffer needlessly." U.N. OFFICIAL AND ZAINAB AHMED WIDE OF BRIEFING IN PROGRESS BORNO, NIGERIA (DECEMBER 01, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE SITTING ON GROUND BOY SITTING ON GROUND WOMEN AND CHILDREN SITTING ON GROUND CLOSE OF WOMEN SITTING ON GROUND VARIOUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN SITTING ON MAT WIDE OF PEOPLE SITTING ON MATS ON GROUND
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2016 15:15
  • Keywords: U.N. humanitarian aid Boko Haram Nigeria Abuja Borno
  • Location: ABUJA AND BORNO, NIGERIA
  • City: ABUJA AND BORNO, NIGERIA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015B6V4UF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The United Nations has doubled its humanitarian funding appeal for northeast Nigeria to $1 billion in 2017 in a bid to reach nearly 7 million people hit by the Islamist militant Boko Haram insurgency who need life-saving help, it said on Friday (December 2).
    "We will target 6.9 million people and we will do that, (which) requires 1 billion U.S. dollars for next year," U.N. Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Northeastern Nigeria, Peter Lundberg said.
    The United Nations has said some 75,000 children are at risk of starving to death in the region over the next few months if they do not receive humanitarian assistance.
    Director of Operational Division at U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), John Ging called for immediate measures to be taken by international community and referred to the required one billion dollars as a "very small amount of money" for a rich world with the GDP of over 70 trillion dollars.
    "All delays will cost lives. Let's be clear about that. People will die and people will suffer needlessly," Ging said.
    The jihadist group has killed 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million from their homes during a seven-year insurgency in Africa's most populous nation.
    Nigerian military forces backed by troops from neighboring states have, in the past few months, pushed Boko Haram out of areas they previously controlled, revealing thousands of people living in famine-like conditions.
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