Northeast: 2.3m children, youth face hunger, as SCI seeks protection for farmers
Save the Children International, Nigeria has called on both the Federal Government and the State Governments to ensure the protection of farmers in the Northeast sub-region as hunger threatens 2.3million children and youth in the sub-region.
This is contained in a statement signed by Amanuel Mamo, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, SCI on Thursday.
According to the child protection organisation, millions of children were going hungry in North-eastern states of Nigeria through malnutrition hunger, abuse and trauma as attacks continue to devastate lives.
A recent UN report found that 4.4 million people in the area are on the brink of acute hunger as attacks by militants are forcing farmers from their lands.
In this regard, SCI strongly condemned reported attacks and displacements of farmers and other civilians in the Northeast.
Shannon Ward, Acting Country Director, SCI, said the reported loss of livelihoods, land and crop coupled with the effects of COVID-19 was beyond something the community could bear.
According to her, SCI is “extremely worried that this will lead to an even bigger food crisis in the northeast of the country.”
In view of this, SCI called on both the Federal and the State Governments to ensure that farmers were supported and protected, so they “can work their lands, and feed their families and communities.”
The humanitarian organization said the situation in the sub-region was extremely dire as “millions of children have already been through a decade of suffering, violence and humanitarian crisis.
“Thousands and thousands have died, and many more saw their rights impacted to survive, learn and be protected.”
The acting country director expressed SCI’s worry that the series of attacks and displacements were deepening the vulnerability of children, girls and women and resulting to family separation, child marriage, out-of-school and high risk of gender based violence, physical and sexual abuse.
SCI, therefore, urged the state governments and the international community to commit more resources to addressing the massive critical needs of the displaced people.
Our correspondent reports that SCI is amongst the first humanitarian organizations that responded to the humanitarian crisis in the North-East, reaching 1.2 million people since the start of its response.
The organization is providing food assistance and protection services to more than 320,000 children and families on a regular basis.
SCI restated its commitment to work with the authorities in the northeast of Nigeria to deliver urgent, life-saving humanitarian assistance for children and their families who are in dire need.
