World Food Programme Threatens To Halve Food Rations For North East IDPs
There are indications that the World Food Programme (WFP) may cut food rations and reduce the number of people it serves in the North East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa by 50 per cent, if it fails to receive at least $55 million in a matter of weeks.
This is coming as severe hunger reaches a five-year high in the country due to conflict and insecurity, worsened by the socio-economic fallout of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), high food prices and limited food supply.
According to the National Communications Officer, WFP, Mr. Kelechi Onyemaobi, to sustain humanitarian operations in North East Nigeria till March 2022, WFP urgently requires $197 million.
WFP’s Regional Director for West Africa, Chris Nikoi, sounded the warning, at the weekend, following his visit to Nigeria.
He said: “Cutting rations means choosing who gets to eat and who goes to bed hungry. We are seeing funding for our life-saving humanitarian work dry up just when hunger is at its most severe.”
Moreover, he stated that the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East had been on a steady rise, as it reached all-time high of over 2 million in September 2021, while current food security analyses show that 4.4 million people in are hungry, and over one million children malnourished.