United Nations Says North-east Nigeria Needs $1.1bn for Rehabilitation

The United Nations on Thursday said the situation in the North-east Nigeria remains very fragile and that any effort to stop the huge humanitarian crisis in the zone may reverse the whole area to the dark era of 2015-2016 when it was on the precipice.

Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said to address the numerous humanitarian challenges in the Northeast, the organisation needs US$1.1 billion in 2018.

He said an appeal of US$1.1 billion is going to be made for 2018 to provide for 6.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the crisis ridden Northeast.

Kallon said the situation “is still very fragile, and if nothing is done, it can slip back, insisting that the cooperation and partnership of all stakeholders are still needed to pilot the troubled ship.

 “We thank the donors for their assistance; they have all added to make the Northeast appeal the 5th most funded appeal in the world.”

He lamented that the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure in the region was massive and has left no other option but to embrace cheaper technology for there are a lot of people to be relocated.

He said: “There is massive displacement in the region, and we have to see how we can support people to rebuilding their lives.”

Kallon said UN agencies are in the Northeast to support Nigerian Government at all level, “and not to fight the government in order to see to the well-being of the people.”

On the decongestion at the camps, he said: “We need to work better and coordinate the activities at the camps; we are here to support government and not to fight it. We need to sit down together to provide the assistance to these people.”

He called on government to also assist and support NGOs to provide humanitarian services to the displaced population, pointing out that “UNDP has been constructing and reconstructing shelter, sources of water supply, schools, clinics among others in many communities in order to help the displaced people return to their communities, resettle and continue their life as well as assist them cope with the crisis.”

He noted that UNDP provides technical assistance and policy advisory services to government and NGOs in humanitarian services, building and strengthening the capacity for policy support to the people.

The Humanitarian Coordinator therefore appealed to Nigerian Government to continue to support and save the lives of the people. He said the only solution to the Boko Haram crisis in the North-east region is peace, insisting that “without peace, there cannot be any development, and without justice, there is no peace.”