Seeks donations amid funding cut by U.S. govt
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed reaching 1.3 million people with healthcare services and treating 340,000 children for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) through the multi-sectoral interventions in the North-East.

The global agency added that it enrolled 0.5 million displaced children in education, with the supply of water to 185,000 people from January to June this year.

The disclosures were made yesterday in Maiduguri by the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Butichi, to mark the 2025 World Humanitarian Day.

“Today, we recognise humanitarian work and acknowledge the sacrifice of aid workers on the front lines,” he said, urging an increased support for children, women, households, and the communities most affected by conflicts, displacement and climate-driven natural disasters, including floods and disease outbreaks in the region.

Despite the successes in the humanitarian interventions, Butichi, however, lamented: “But gaps remain as disease outbreaks, climate change and attacks by non-state armed groups continue to fuel displacement, food insecurity and child malnutrition.”

Highlighting the significance of World Humanitarian Day, Butichi commended the Borno and Yobe state governments for showing commitment through the counterpart funding demonstrated under the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF).

Citing the two states’ commitments, the UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office stated that recently, over 200 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) were procured by the Borno government through the CNF mechanism, while the Yobe state government approved the sum of N165 million for the purchase of RUTF under the CNF initiative.   

He, therefore, called on donors, the private sector, and the federal and state governments to increase funding to Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that support life-saving nutrition, immunisation, health and protection services for conflict, floods, and displaced communities in the region.

The UN agency also raised the alarm over a massive funding shortfall following the recent cut in funding by the United States government. The organisation is now urging Nigerians to support local humanitarian efforts through donations, volunteering, and advocacy.

Butich revealed that humanitarian needs in the Northeast are growing rapidly, observing that several communities are still battling floods amid reduced services in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

According to him, UNICEF requires $255 million for humanitarian operations in 2025, but only $95 million has been received, leaving a funding gap of $160 million (67 per cent).

“We are all aware of the global funding cut that has threatened humanitarian operations across the world. The impact is profoundly crushing at the local level, where conflict, climate change and disease outbreaks are recurrent,” Butich said. He urged Nigerians and stakeholders to play their part in bridging the gap.