The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Ahead of World Food Day (16 October), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns that it may soon be forced to cut food rations to more than half a million women, men and children in north-eastern Nigeria while calling urgently for funding of at least US$ 55 million in the coming weeks.
Speaking at a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme’s (WFP) spokesperson said that “the World Food Programme will be forced to cut food rations in a matter of weeks. We are not talking of months, we are not talking of a six-month period, we are talking literally of weeks - unless we receive aid and funding.”
Without additional resources, the food assistance agency will run out of funds for emergency food distribution and nutrition support by the end of October 2021.
The cuts would then come as hunger reaches a five-year high in the country which has been suffering years of conflict and insecurity. According to Tomson Phiri, “we are facing very severe levels of hunger that we have witnessed since, this is probably the highest that we are witnessing since the crisis exploded in 2016. Approximately 4.4 million people are facing acute food insecurity in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.”
The situation in the country has been worsened by the socio-economic fallout due to Covid-19, high food prices and limited food supply. Furthermore, the number of internally displaced people reached more than 2 million in September 2021. WFP estimates that over 1 million children are malnourished. Food assistance is already prioritized for the most vulnerable ones.
“What makes this situation of concern, is that we are already providing prioritized assistance”, Mr. Phiri stated. He added that “there have already been austere measures that we had implemented, and the situation now will mean we have no other choice but to implement deeper cuts. We urgently require 197 million United States Dollars over the next six months to be able to sustain our operations in Nigeria”.
For five years, WFP has provided life-saving food and nutrition assistance to severely food insecure people, displaced families in camps, and to vulnerable people living in host communities.
“The situation is largely been driven by insecurity. Of course, we have a confluence of climate crises as well in the north, but it is largely insecurity with reports of non-state armed groups targeting civilians, community leaders in the north-east,” said WFP’s spokesperson.
WFP ramped up its response to address rising food insecurity and the impact of Covid-19 with life-saving food assistance. However, the situation in north-eastern Nigeria remains dramatic.
Tomson Phiri said that “the peak lean season was between June and August and just after that people are really on the brink and by that I mean you are talking about, we are assisting 1.7 million people and of these 800,000 people face emergency levels. Emergency levels is just one step away from phase 5, that is catastrophic, that is a step away from famine”.
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
- Medium-wide shot, inside the press conference room, showing speakers and participants.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme’s (WFP) spokesperson: “The World Food Programme will be forced to cut food rations in a matter of weeks. We are not talking of months, we are not talking of a six-month period, we are talking literally of weeks unless we receive aid and funding.”
- Close shot, a journalist, masked, listening to the press conference, Mr. Phiri on screen and to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme’s (WFP) spokesperson: “We are facing very severe levels of hunger that we have witnessed since, this is probably the highest that we are witnessing since the crisis exploded in 2016. Approximately 4.4 million people are facing acute food insecurity in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.”
- Close shot on one of the journalists’ hand, writing down notes from the press briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme’s (WFP) spokesperson: “What makes this situation of concern, is that we are already providing prioritized assistance. There have already been austere measures that we had implemented, and the situation now will mean we have no other choice but to implement deeper cuts. We urgently require 197 million United States Dollars over the next six months to be able to sustain our operations in Nigeria.”
- Close shot on one of the journalist’s laptop showing the press briefing broadcast on Zoom, speakers in the background.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme’s (WFP) spokesperson: “The situation is largely been driven by insecurity. Of course, we have a confluence of climate crises as well in the north, but it is largely insecurity with reports of non-state armed groups targeting civilians, community leaders in the north-east.”
- Close shot, a journalist, masked, attending the conference.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme’s (WFP) spokesperson: “The peak lean season was between June and August and just after that people are really on the brink and by that I mean you are talking about, we are assisting 1.7 million people and of these 800,000 people face emergency levels. Emergency levels is just one step away from phase 5, that is catastrophic, that is a step away from famine.”
- Medium shot, inside the press conference room, showing speakers and the broadcast on Zoom.
- Close shot on a journalist, masked, taking notes.
- Medium shot, journalists attending the meeting.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
No evacuation order given before Kamal Adwan Hospital strike, says WHO
One of the last partially functional health centres in northern Gaza was reportedly hit again overnight into Friday by several strikes, leaving four health workers among the casualties and the dead, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA
More than 280,000 people have been uprooted in northwest Syria in a matter of days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the Security Council as a terrorist group.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has called on the Georgian authorities to respect and protect the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly following several nights of protests that were marred by violence, and dispersed using disproportionate, and in some cases unnecessary, force by the police in the capital, Tbilisi.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said today he was extremely concerned about the recent escalation in hostilities in northwest Syria, which further compounds the suffering endured by millions of civilians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO , OCHA
Syria escalation: Civilians face deadly attacks, health care in distress and aid access compromised
The ongoing escalation of violence in northwest Syria linked to the wider conflict in Gaza and Lebanon has left civilians dead and injured, hospitals “overwhelmed” and attacks on healthcare on the rise, the UN warned on Tuesday.
2
1
4
Press Conferences , Edited News | OCHA
Multiple unending conflicts, climate change and a glaring disregard for long-established international humanitarian law are set to leave a staggering 305 million people in need of lifesaving assistance next year, the UN’s top aid official warned on Wednesday.
Embargo Wednesday, 4 December 2024 at 0600 CET / 0000 ET
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Rights Office on Friday warned about the plight of civilians in Ukraine after further attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITU
An international panel has been set up to protect undersea communications cables that are crucial for international trade and security, the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said on Friday. The creation of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience comes amid an ongoing investigation into the severing of two fibre optic cables in the Baltic Sea, in less than 24 hours between 17 and 18 November.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | ITU
An estimated 5.5 billion people have access to the internet in 2024, an increase of 227 million people based on revised estimates for 2023, the UN specialized agency for telecommunications, ITU, said on Wednesday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNAIDS
Launch of World AIDS Day Report 2024—Take The Rights Path
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
A joint report issued this morning by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) paints a disturbing picture of the media landscape in the country since the Taliban takeover. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk says.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN human rights chief Volker Türk lent his weight to growing ceasefire calls in Lebanon on Tuesday, amid reports that the senior Israeli cabinet members were due to meet on a deal to end more than a year of conflict with Hezbollah militants, sparked by the war in Gaza