The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that its humanitarian partners need $4.7 billion in 2024 to address the urgent needs of 20.9 million Internally Displaced Persons in Burkina Faso, Cameroon’s Far North Region, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria’s Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
This information was revealed in a statement titled “Almost 33 million people in the Sahel need lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection services,” released on Wednesday.
According to OCHA, the lives of 32.8 million people across the Sahel are impacted by a complex and interconnected web of crises. These crises are worsened by instability, a deteriorating security situation, and the effects of climate change, resulting in a dire need for humanitarian assistance and protection services.
“Across the Sahel, growing violence and conflict threaten lives and livelihoods, forcing families to flee their homes and preventing access to basic social services – 2.2 million children are deprived of their right to education due to school closures, and 1,263 health centres are closed.
“The region hosts two million refugees and asylum seekers and 5.6 million internally displaced persons, many of whom have faced multiple displacements. The increasing effects of climate change are multipliers of vulnerability.
“Protection of human life and people’s fundamental rights and dignity remains the most urgent humanitarian need. Women and girls, children, and those with specific needs are particularly vulnerable. In the upcoming June-August lean season, 16.7 million people will struggle to feed themselves,” the statement read in part.
In Nigeria, the UN noted that 7.9m persons from Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are people in need, but the agency will target 4.4m people with the required funding of $926.5M.
It further disclosed that 2.2 million children in the area were deprived of their right to education due to school closures, 1,263 health centres are closed while the region hosts two million refugees and asylum seekers aside from 5.6 million internally displaced persons many of whom have faced multiple displacements.
“Humanitarian partners require US$ 4.7 billion in 2024 to meet the urgent needs of 20.9 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon’s Far North Region, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria’s Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
OCHA cautioned that lives are in jeopardy unless humanitarians receive the necessary resources to address these crises and support the region’s most vulnerable populations.