Red Cross to lift 1.09m Nigerians with 27m Swiss Francs.

Red Cross to lift 1.09m Nigerians with 27m Swiss Francs.

Hope brightened yesterday for 1,092,300 Nigerians facing hunger, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene crises. They will be lifted by the International Federation of Red Cross Society (IFRC) through the Nigerian Red Cross.

The IFRC announced CHF27 million (Swiss Francs) support for its local chapter in Nigeria.

The humanitarian organisation said that 24.8 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity, adding it has succeeded in raising CHF 2,138,031, which it said was less than eight per cent of the funds.

It said the interventions will cover 13 states in the Northwest, Northcentral, Southwest and the Southeast.

The states are: Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Borno, Lagos and Imo.

The disclosures were made at a fact-sheet session at the Hunger Crisis Media Parley by the Head, Abuja Delegation of IFRC, Bhupinder Tomar.

Tomar said: “IFRC today seeks CHF 27million to support Nigerian Red Cross Society to respond to the hunger crisis.

“1,092,300 will receive aid in the form of cash assistance, food and nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).”

Giving the breakdown of the beneficiaries which was compiled in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross, he said: “600,000 people will receive water, Sanitation and hygiene assistance. 396,000 will receive health and nutrition support, including child Supplementary feeding.

“330,000 people will receive cash voucher assistance through multi-purpose cash grants and 66,000 people will receive livelihoods support and training in income generating activities and livestock production.”

He said the interventions of the society were to complement what the Federal Government has been doing.

Tomar added: “I am happy that the government is responding to this national emergency and doing its best. I think, we (the public) have contributions to make. Famine or hunger is human created. There is nothing natural about famine or hunger. It is unnatural. We must all rise up to play our roles.

He warned that if urgent action was not taken, “large external shocks may accentuate the challenges at hand.”

On her part, the Senior Communications Officer, Africa Hunger Crisis Appeal, Anne Wanjiru said 22 other sub-Saharan countries were also facing hunger.

She said about 146 milion in Southern Africa have been facing severe hunger with some households hardly getting a meal daily.

“The hunger crisis is largely climate induced but fuelled by conflict. It is time to put an end to the vicious cycle,” she said.

The President of the society, Oluyemisi Adeaga, urged Nigerians to come to the aid of the vulnerable who are uncertain of a meal or the next meal at  any time.

He said the Red Cross was out to fill the gaps in catering for the vulnerable.

He said: “Our initial target was seven states in north-west and north-central Nigeria. That number has now been scaled up to 13 states as we are seeing an increase in the number of people who are going hungry due to a multiplicity of factors.”

 ”Indeed, the urgency of the situation is not lost on President Bola Tinubu who declared a state of emergency on food insecurity and ordered the immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers.”

“President Tinubu also approved that all matters pertaining to food and water availability as well as affordability, as essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National Security Council.

 ”We call on all well-meaning people and organizations to join the efforts of the Nigerian Red Cross Society to bring relief to some of the most vulnerable members of our society who now face the human indignity of not knowing where their next meal will come from.”

Credit: The Nation Newspaper.