The Humanitarian Coordinator in Niger, Ms. Louise Aubin, has approved the sum of $12.5 million from the Niger envelope of the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa (RHFWCA), to support the emergency multisectoral response to the most critical humanitarian needs, in alignment with the priorities of the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
This first allocation of the RHFWCA under the Niger envelope will fund 22 integrated and/or multisectoral emergency projects that will contribute to scale-up emergency humanitarian operations focusing on cross-border areas, including the tri-border area (Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali), the Lake Chad Basin (Niger, Chad and Nigeria) and the Maradi region (Niger and Nigeria). It will primarily target displaced persons and host communities affected by recent conflicts, transhumance issues, and the impact of global warming in the most marginalized and hard-to-reach areas.
Niger is facing a complex and multifaceted humanitarian emergency marked by insecurity and persisting violence against civilians perpetrated by non-state armed groups and the effects of endemic poverty. The humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate. According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management, floods following heavy rains this year has affected 250,331 people (32,833 households) and caused 77 deaths nationwide. Furthermore, at least 5,469 people have been affected by cholera in six of the country's eight regions.
“This allocation comes at a time when the country's 2021 HRP remains underfunded with only 41% of identified needs covered to date. It will enable frontline humanitarian actors to cover the most critical humanitarian needs in the priority regions of Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua and Tillabéri,” explained Ms. Aubin, who also expressed her immense gratitude to donors for their confidence in the Regional Humanitarian Fund. “It is a flexible funding instrument for an effective, rapid and coordinated humanitarian response,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator.
By focusing on non-governmental organizations, with particular attention to national and local actors, this allocation will contribute towards efforts to localize the humanitarian response and strengthen humanitarian access in the targeted regions. The prioritized sectors are: emergency shelter and non-food items, water, hygiene and sanitation, education, nutrition, protection, health and food security.
The 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan for Niger targets 2.1 million of the most vulnerable people out of 3.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 54% of those in need. As of 6 December 2021, $214.8 million (41% of the funds needed) has been mobilized by the HRP out of a total required amount, estimated at $523.2 million.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Source: Apo-Opa
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