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 | OHCHR , UNOG
The appointment on Thursday of Karla Quintana as head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic is a key development after nearly a year and a half of work by the UN Human Rights Office supporting the institution’s launch.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNICEF , UNRWA , WHO
The head of the UN migration agency stressed on Friday that Syria is in no position to take back millions of Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime, while there is an urgent need to “re-evaluate” sanctions impacting the war-ravaged country.
1
1
1
Edited News | IIIM , UNHCR
Syria: ‘Key priority’ is to preserve evidence of crimes – UN investigators
In Syria, new access to evidence of horrific human rights violations means that accountability may be closer than ever – if only proof can be preserved, a top UN investigator said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OSE , ICRC , UNHCR
Syria: UN and partners urge action to preserve evidence of prison atrocities, stabilize country
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria five days ago, hundreds of people have rushed to Saydnaya prison, desperate to find loved ones. Disturbing images from the prison and other detention centers have since surfaced, exposing the “unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured for years,” said Jenifer Fenton, spokesperson for the UN special envoy for Syria, on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNRWA
Gaza: “Sickening normalisation” of suffering, amid attacks on people and aid convoys
Ongoing military operations by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza continue to devastate Palestinian children and families, with mounting casualties and a critical lack of humanitarian aid for the desperate population.
“Local media reporting here that last night, 30 people were killed in this area in strikes” said a senior emergency officer with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, speaking to reporters in Geneva from central Gaza.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Rights experts call for end to impunity for Israel’s violations of international law
Four independent human rights experts have jointly called for the international community to sanction Israel’s conduct of hostilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as in the wider Middle East region - including in Syria, Lebanon and Iran. They also called for the restoration of trust in the international justice system through the abandonment of “extreme interpretations” and “double standards” in the application of the universal norms regulating the conduct of war.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNHCR
Syria: needs continue to grow amid highly uncertain situation, say aid teams
The historic power shift in Syria and the still volatile situation two days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime have increased humanitarian needs in a country where nearly 17 million people, including millions of internally displaced, already depended on humanitarian aid before the recent events, UN aid teams said on Tuesday.
2
1
3
Edited News , Press Conferences | OSES
Barely 48 hours since opposition forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into Damascus and forced out President Bashar al-Assad, the top UN negotiator tasked with helping Syrians’ create a peaceful and democratic future insisted that nothing could be taken for granted.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday called on States to do all in their power to end senseless conflicts and suffering.
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.