Six months after donors at the Oslo Conference committed funding for humanitarian support in the Lake Chad Region with nearly 800,000 severely malnourished children, only 57% of the funding has come in.
At least $2.2 billion is needed for humanitarian assistance in the region spanning Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, but only $460 has been delivered, said Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
:Lack of sufficient humanitarian funding is putting young children’s lives at risk,” warned Egeland.
“The donations from the Oslo conference have been crucial, but we are not able to avert a massive loss of lives without large additional funding for our humanitarian operations in the conflict-ridden areas. We need improved security for civilians and aid workers, and access to all those in need, but we must also build a bigger humanitarian muscle that can provide for the suffering millions,” said Egeland.
Boko Haram violence has spread to Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, causing violent confrontations with security forces and forcing people from their homes.
Many are unable to cultivate their land, causing a food crisis.
In Nigeria 5.2 million people now remain food insecure, including 50,000 who are already living in famine-like conditions.
“We fear that we only see a portion of the massive needs, as large areas remain inaccessible for humanitarian organizations,” said Egeland.
A consultative group for Lake Chad consisting of representatives from Germany, Norway and the UN, in addition to the four countries surrounding Lake Chad, will have their first meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, 6 September.
The Norwegian Refugee Council has stressed humanitarian funding and access should be top of the agenda.
“Inadequate funding is currently hampering our ability to deliver timely and life-saving assistance to people in need. Before this is put in place, there will be no hope and stability in the region,” Egeland said.
