The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has announced a $5 million allocation to enhance flood response efforts and address urgent needs in Nigeria’s flood-affected states of Borno and Bauchi in the North-East, and Sokoto in the North-West.
This announcement, made in a statement released on Wednesday, comes amid increasing concerns about the impact of flooding during the peak of the rainy season.
The floods have devastated communities, resulting in over 300 fatalities and affecting at least 1.2 million people across 31 states, according to Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA). Thousands of hectares of cropland have also suffered damage just ahead of the harvest season.
“Floods across Nigeria have created a crisis within a crisis,” said Mohamed Malick Fall, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria. He highlighted that millions were already facing critical food insecurity due to economic hardships, and the floods have exacerbated their suffering.
The CERF funding is expected to assist humanitarian partners in reaching approximately 280,000 individuals in the affected states, providing essential services such as food, clean water, sanitation, and shelter. Additionally, the funds will bolster healthcare access, focusing on preventing waterborne diseases like cholera.
The response will also incorporate multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) and cash-for-work programs to help affected individuals regain their livelihoods. Enhanced protection services, particularly for women, girls, and individuals with disabilities, will be a key aspect of the relief effort.
While this allocation is a critical boost to humanitarian efforts, CERF emphasized that it is insufficient to meet the extensive needs on the ground. There is an urgent call for the mobilization of additional resources from donors, development partners, and the private sector as the emergency response begins to transition to recovery efforts in some areas.
