Within the last quarter of 2020, two reports that reflect the need for increased humanitarian and collective effort in Northeast Nigeria are timely to consider.
The International Organization for Migration and Cadre Harmonisé established that 3.4 million people are facing acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels. 2.1 million are internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the crisis (Displacement Tracking Matrix [DTM].
These individuals constitute the vast number labeled as Affected Persons. They cannot live above the root cause of the problems that afflict them namely: Persistent conflict, recurrent flooding, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic hampered commodity trade and economic activities, including farming and food production.
While this year winds off, it's wishful to think that the afflictions will tread steadily on a conscious decline. Cadre Harmonisé projects that 5.1 million will face acute food insecurity in the 2021 lean season (June–August), if adequate assistance is not provided. This justifies the forewarning by the UN Secretary-General that northeastern Nigeria is one of four ongoing crises “facing the specter of heightened food insecurity and potentially famine”. Food insecurity is up-tall along with several other problems ranging from water, sanitation, hygiene, health, protection, and education in this region.
The effort of Humanitarian organizations and their staff members, government agencies, and leaders have been keenly noticed more than any other time. The problem of affected persons brings everyone into a community for accountability and we at U-Report24x7 enormously appreciate our partners and the active citizens whose reports, responses, and engagement with fellow community members have been incredible.
The prevalent situation might appear sober and bleak but we look forward to improved engagement and life-saving communication, closing more feedback loops for immediate response on issues reported daily by affected persons in the region. Together, we can even achieve more.
Signing up on U-Report24x7 is simple. Text the word SHIGA to 24453 and join the community of volunteers who provide useful information for humanitarian and government response on issues disturbing the affected person in Northeast Nigeria. Your voice matters
