1.7 Million Nigerians Need Food In North East Says UN

The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has said the number of people in need of food assistance in the troubled North-east Nigeria has reduced.

FAO, quoting the latest results of food security analysis obtained during the October 2018 cadre harmonised analysis, said the results were “very encouraging, and in fact, in the three north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, the number of people in need of food assistance has fallen from 2.6 to 1.7 million people over the past year.”

The UN agency said: “The decrease of around 850,000 people in need of food assistance reflects robust efforts made by the states and the federal government and humanitarian actors, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and World Food Programme to reach vulnerable people.”

It noted that other factors leading to an improvement in the food security situation include favourable farming conditions, improved security in some areas and better access to markets.

Delivering the speech of the FAO Country Representative, Suffyan Koroma, at the flag-off ceremony of 2018 FAO dry season input support programme last Saturday in Maiduguri, Deputy FAO, Head of North East sub-office, Nourou Tall, lamented that conflict and displacement are preventing large numbers of people from farming or engaging in other livelihood activities.

He said: “Without sustained humanitarian support, this number is predicted to rise to 2.7 million people within the next six months.”