British Government announces £200mn humanitarian aid to save life,rebuild North east

The British Government ‎has announced a new package of humanitarian support worth  £200 million that is targeted at saving and changing lives.
Priti Patel,the international Development Secretary  on Wednesday  announced the package ,when he and the UK Foregin Secretary Boris Johnson paid a visit to the insurgency ravaged region,a statement issued by Joe Abuku of  the Press and Public Relations Department of the High Commission said.

The diplomats were on the spot assesment on the region  to see  how the UK is leading the international response to the humanitarian crisis in the north east, helping to avert famine and build stability and security after the destruction caused by Boko Haram.

Nigeria’s North-east region has been ravaged by the activities of the insurgents including ‎the outskirts of Maiduguri – a city that the Secretaries of State visited – which have been decimated by Boko Haram attacks.
The militant group have killed over 20,000 people, displaced 1.7 million and left 8.5 million in desperate need of urgent support, in some cases on the brink of famine. Ongoing attacks continue to destroy communities, with recent reports of children being forced to carry suicide bombs.

 

The UK’s increased support will extend DFID’s humanitarian programme in Nigeria over five years (2017-2022) to deliver: ‎lifesaving food for more than 1.5 million people on the brink of famine;   treatment for up to 120,000 children at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition; ongoing support to help keep 100,000 girls and boys in school to get a decent education, providing a brighter future for the next generation;

It would also deliver   safe humanitarian access to transport brave aid workers and deliver aid to the hardest to reach areas, for example using helicopters where roads are blocked or dangerous to us.

Joe Abuku,in the statement explained that  the £200 million support is an allocation of DFID Nigeria’s budget for four years from 2018 – 2022, building on our existing £100 million of humanitarian support for 2017 that the International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced earlier this year.

The programme,the statement said will be delivered through capable and cost effective partners including UN agencies such as UNICEF, WFP, United Nations Humanitarian Air Service; INGOs and private sector partners.
‎ Also,the UK has so far trained over 28,500 Nigerian military personnel, of whom a significant number have been deployed on counter-insurgency operations in north east Nigeria.  This includes counter-terrorism cooperation, providing training on response to terrorist attacks, bomb scene management, and improving aviation security.

 

HARRISON EDEH, ABUJA