International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Nigeria: Complex Crisis
Key messages / 06 November 2017
Background
Northeast Nigeria faces one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world today. The armed conflict has left an estimated 8.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the worst-affected states: Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
Populations are suffering the cumulative impact of years of conflict and violence and now food and water shortages, following two consecutive seasons of poor rain fall. It has disrupted basic health services, production of food and trade as well as household livelihoods. UNOCHA estimates 5.2 million people are now food insecure in northeast Nigeria alone.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society, with the support of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and funding from ICRC, is on the ground – often in areas few can go – to respond to the ongoing urgent needs of vulnerable communities in Adamawa and Yobe States. By 2018, 300,000 people will have received Red Cross support, including shelter, sanitation and hygiene, community-based health services, as well as cash and livelihoods projects.
The IFRC is supporting the Nigerian Red Cross Society in responding to the ongoing urgent needs of vulnerable communities in hard-to-reach and under-serviced areas and supporting its volunteers and staff to build community resilience through programmes that restore dignity, strengthen food security and support long-term development.
Key figures
8.5 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in worst-affected areas, including Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
5.2 million people need food assistance.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society, in partnership with IFRC will support 300,000 conflict-affected people with cash and livelihoods projects; shelter; sanitation and hygiene; and community-based health services.
Key messages
§ Conflict, coupled with food and water shortages, has left millions of people in Nigeria’s northeast in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Years of conflict, violence and food shortages have left 8.5 million people in the north-east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in need of humanitarian assistance. Crop production and other livelihoods have been interrupted by the prolonged armed conflict and two years of poor rainfall resulting in the hike of food prices. The dire needs are exacerbated by internally displaced people returning back to their homes and an influx of returning refugees from neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. There is also additional demand on infrastructure and resources that were damaged during conflict, including health centres, water and sanitation systems and shelter.
§ The Red Cross is responding to the needs of thousands who are at risk of food insecurity and vulnerability in hard-to-reach areas
The Nigerian Red Cross Society with the support of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and funding from ICRC, is on the ground – often in areas few can go – to respond to the ongoing urgent needs of vulnerable communities in Adamawa and Yobe States. The Nigerian Red Cross Society is providing urgent relief supports, including cash, health, water and sanitation, and shelter to improve people’s coping strategies and reduce disease outbreaks. More than 4,300 families have received emergency cash in Adamawa State, allowing them to invest in opportunities to build their livelihood and respond to their own immediate unique needs, including feeding their families.
§ Emergency relief will save lives in the short term, but will not address long-term underlying vulnerabilities.
IFRC is supporting the Nigerian Red Cross Society’s volunteers and staff in building community resilience through programmes that restore dignity, strengthen food security and support long-term development.
§ The Red Cross’ strength lies in its network of thousands of volunteers across Nigeria who are dedicated to saving lives.
Red Cross volunteers are local, trusted members of communities across Nigeria. They allow us to have unprecedented access to remote and vulnerable populations even in times of conflict and unrest.
A priority in IFRC’s appeal is working with the Nigerian Red Cross to strengthen local capacity and empower locally-led efforts that will help address long-term underlying vulnerabilities.
§ IFRC will continue to support the Nigerian Red Cross in expanding its reach in 2018.
Looking ahead to 2018, we will continue to expand operations into Yobe State where ongoing response and recovery is critical.
Key contacts
In Nigeria
(Nigeria Red Cross Society)
Nwakpa O. Nwakpa, Head of Communications and Advocacy
+2348034736200, nwakpaon@redcrossnigeria.org
In Nairobi:
Euloge Ishimwe, Communications Manager, Africa
+254 731 688 613, euloge.ishimwe@ifrc.org
In Geneva:
Matthew Cochrane, Manager Media and Advocacy/Spokesperson
+41 79 308 98 04, matthew.cochrane@ifrc.org