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Northeast Crisis: US1.3 billion needed as humanitarian assistance for 6 million people – UN

Northeast Crisis: US1.3 billion needed as humanitarian assistance for 6 million people – UN
By: Our Reporter
The United Nations has said US$1.3 billion is needed this year to provide critical lifesaving assistance to 6 million people suffering from the devastating impact of the 13 year armed conflict in the Northeast.
It disclosed that this is an increase of 500,000 people from the 5.5 million people identified for assistance in 2022.
A statement on Thursday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said “the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for north-east Nigeria launched today requests US$1.3 billion to provide critical lifesaving assistance to 6 million people suffering from the devastating impact of the continuing 13 year long non-international armed conflict. This is an increase of 500,000 people from the 5.5 million people identified for assistance in 2022.”
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, was quoted in the statement to have said: “The large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis shows no sign of abating,” revealing that: “An estimated 2.4 million people are in acute need – impacted by conflict, disaster and disease – and require urgent support.”
He lamented that some humanitarian needs of affected people are deepening and increasing, particularly those related to food insecurity and malnutrition, adding that approximately 4.4 million people are expected to face food insecurity in the 2023 lean season, up from 4.1 million in 2022, while insisting that without urgent action, 4,000 people in Bama, Borno State, are expected to be in ‘catastrophe’ (Phase 5) conditions, in which starvation, death, destitution and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels become prevalent.
According to the statement, the ticking time bomb of child malnutrition is escalating in Nigeria’s north-east, with the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition projected to increase to 2 million in 2023, up from 1.74 million in last year. The already high levels of severe acute malnutrition are projected to more than double, from 300,000 children affected last year to a projected 697,000 this year.
Schmale said: “Women and girls are the hardest hit,” stressing that: “Over 80 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are women and children. They face increased risks of violence, abduction, rape and abuse.”
He noted that during conflict, children, girls, women and people with disabilities are the most affected groups of people. They require additional attention through enhanced access to protection and quality of basic health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and learning services.
The statement said two million people are displaced due to conflict and face daily threats to their health and safety. Sudden and unpredictable attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure by non-state armed groups are continuing, and the recent closure of camps for internally displaced people are leading to new vulnerabilities. There are nearly two million returnees who lack essential services and livelihoods, and 4.8 million people in host communities or communities affected by the conflict.
Over a million people are estimated to be in extremely hard-to-reach areas where they are unable to get to basic services or receive assistance and humanitarian actors are unable to reach them.
The statement added that through the Humanitarian Response Plan, 120 operational partners will work in support of Government efforts to save lives, improve the quality of life, protect the most vulnerable and enable affected people to return to normalcy and live safely and with dignity. The plan, which is part of a two-year strategy for 2022-2023, prioritizes lifesaving needs while also working to reduce vulnerabilities through efforts to build resilience and enhance self-reliance.
In 2023, humanitarian partners will continue to monitor and respond to the significant humanitarian needs in other parts of Nigeria and strengthen complementarity in resource mobilisation, and linkages with ongoing prevention and development efforts, as demonstrated in 2022 in the response to the country’s worst floods in 10 years as well as the severe malnutrition crisis in the north-west.
Despite facing severe access and funding constraints, the humanitarian community reached 4.7 million people with assistance in 2022 through the generous support of donors. With the Humanitarian Response Plan, they have outlined a vision to assist 6 million people. Of the $1.3 billion required, $631 million will be urgently needed for an emergency response to the 2.4 million people in acute need.
Northeast Crisis: US1.3 billion needed as humanitarian assistance for 6 million people – UN
News
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
By: Zagazola Makama
Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.
Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.
He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.
Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.
The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
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Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach
By: Zagazola Makama
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.
Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.
“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.
The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.
According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.
“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.
Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.
He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.
The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.
“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.
The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End
News
Obasanjo urges holistic approach to end Boko Haram, insecurity

Obasanjo urges holistic approach to end Boko Haram, insecurity
By: Zagazola Makama
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for a whole-of-society approach to tackle Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges in Nigeria.
Obasanjo made the call on Thursday in Abuja while reviewing the book “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,” authored by retired Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.
The former president, who wrote the foreword to the book, said the insurgency which has lasted more than 15 years under four administrations had become a major threat to the stability of the nation.
He recalled Nigeria’s past security challenges, including pre-independence militancy, the Tiv riots, and the 30-month civil war, stressing that Boko Haram had now become one of the most protracted security issues the country had faced.
“In 2011, after the UN House attack in Abuja, I went to find out who these people were and what they wanted. I found that they were not really aiming for anything political or religious. In short, they were looking for a better life.
“Have we understood that? Have we taken the right steps? Should we accept this menace as part of our lives? If not, what should we do? How proactive have we been in dealing with this monster within our country?” Obasanjo asked.
He commended Irabor for the courage to document his experiences and perspectives on the insurgency, noting that the book would enrich ongoing national dialogue on peace and security.
Obasanjo said Nigeria must not shy away from interrogating its past in order to understand what was disrupting the present and shaping the future.
“The life of any nation has the good, the bad and the ugly. What is important is for us to confront our challenges honestly, look at our past and present, and when it is time to proffer solutions, we must look beyond the ordinary,” he said.
The former president also warned against treating Boko Haram and banditry as separate problems, stressing that both had become intertwined.
“Those who have things to say about Boko Haram do not even know when Boko Haram stops and banditry starts. They are all mixed together. We must begin to do something about it, and we must do it collectively,” he said.
The event was attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Defence Muhammad Badaru, service chiefs, royal fathers, senior military officers, members of the National Assembly and the diplomatic community.
Obasanjo urges holistic approach to end Boko Haram, insecurity
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