WFP, UNICEF, Germany launch €40m essential services support for N’East

Over 500,000 conflict-affected people will benefit from a new humanitarian and development package to enhance peace, increase livelihood opportunities to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations in Borno and Yobe states of North East.

The package will provide education, health, nutrition, child protection and sanitation support to the beneficiaries.
Funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW Development Bank of Germany, children below 24 months, pregnant women, school age children, adolescent girls, female-led households and people with disability will be targeted under the Resilience and Social Cohesion project to be implemented for three years by the World Food Programme (WFP) and United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF).

According to a statement issued yesterday by WFP and UNICEF, the multi-year project will leverage ongoing humanitarian support in Bade Local Council of Yobe and Shani Local Council of Borno, while also providing multi-sectoral interventions to address drivers of conflict and fragility.

The project, The Guardian gathered, will support the strengthening of local governance structures to promote social cohesion through community-based processes and the capacity building of public sector partners.

It said the armed conflict in the North East levelled communities, destroyed livelihoods, and disrupted essential services for children and adults.

The statement reads: “Protracted insecurity, high food prices and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) lockdowns have put more than four million people in need of food assistance.

“The situation is further exacerbated by severe impact of violence and unrest on family income, mental health, nutrition, education and other child protection concerns. Across the region, 1.14 million children are acutely malnourished at a scale not seen since 2018.”

UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said: “This is a pathway to peace and sustainable development. Children and other vulnerable groups will have a lifeline and an opportunity to survive in communities where livelihood and peace building activities are present.

“Conflict in any region is potential instability in the rest of the world. UNICEF is grateful to the German government for supporting pathways to child survival and peace in North East Nigeria.”

The Resilience and Social Cohesion programme will contribute to seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of poverty eradication, zero hunger, access to quality education, gender equality, good health and wellbeing, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions as well as partnership for goals.

The new programme is expected to focus on peace building, strengthening governance capacity, sustainable livelihood creation, restoration of infrastructure and provision of life-saving services to 156,888 direct beneficiaries and 362,307 indirect beneficiaries in both local councils.

“WFP welcomes this timely and generous support from the government and people of Germany. This project will support people and communities facing the peril of conflict and hunger in North East Nigeria, especially in Borno and Yobe states,” said Deputy Country Director and Officer in Charge, WFP Country Office, Nigeria, Ms. Simone Parchment.