FG, ECOWAS Donate $1m to Support Victims of Banditry, Insurgency

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government has contributed $1 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as part of ECOWAS humanitarian assistance for victims of violence in three states in northern parts of the country.

In a statement yesterday, the WFP said the fund from ECOWAS was granted to the federal government from the ECOWAS Regional Stabilisation Fund to Katsina, Zamfara and Borno States.

Most states in the North-east and North-west have been under the onslaught of Boko Haram insurgents and bandits, leading to forced displacement of millions from their homes, killing thousands and incessant abduction of the soft targets.

With its dire consequence, WFP said in its statement that the project “aims at providing food assistance to 4,196 persons from 840 households without food with the sum of N27,000 lodged into the  prepaid bank cards or WFP Scope cards of each beneficiary every month to buy their preferred food from local markets.”

The statement explained that the project would also provide milling machines and training support “to 603 returnees from Cameroon and displaced rural women to support them in generating some income to sustain their livelihoods.

“To mitigate acute malnutrition in children in the first 1,000 days of their lives, the WFP also provides nutrition assistance to children aged 6-23 months old and to pregnant and breastfeeding women from vulnerable and food insecure households.

“Some 14,070 children and 1,932 pregnant and breastfeeding women receive specialised nutritious food in the three project states,” the statement said.

Commenting on the fund in the statement, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq said the project has provided the ministry the opportunity of showcasing best practices of partnership in delivering humanitarian intervention as well as advancing the federal government’s efforts in touching the lives of a critical mass of Nigerians in vulnerable situations.

Also, in the statement, the WFP Representative in Nigeria, Ronald Sibanda was quoted saying Nigeria’s contribution, through ECOWAS, came at a very critical point as conflict and impact of climate change continue to drive hunger in the country.

He said: “In these affected states, persistent conflict, climate shocks, high food prices and reduced household purchasing power undermine people’s ability to feed themselves. WFP welcomes this contribution which underpins efforts to continue providing life-saving food and nutrition support and livelihoods assistance to those most in need in the conflict-affected states.”