300m people need humanitarian aid globally, says UN-OCHA

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has lamented that major donors who provide funds for humanitarian assistance are cutting down on their funds. The head of the office in Nigeria, Mr Trond Jensen, spoke Tuesday when he visited the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida […]

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has lamented that major donors who provide funds for humanitarian assistance are cutting down on their funds.

The head of the office in Nigeria, Mr Trond Jensen, spoke Tuesday when he visited the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar.

He said the development indicated it was time for both agencies to put efforts together, as well as work smarter in providing solutions to humanitarian issues.

He disclosed that this year UN-OCHA was looking for 20 per cent less funds to meet the needs of almost 300 million people globally, noting that due to such challenges, there was the need to be in partnership with NEMA and draw strengths from each other’s strength to solve humanitarian issues.

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He explained that the partnership meant there should be effective and efficient means in solving problems, underscoring the need to tap from local resources.

Jensen further noted various humanitarian issues including increased temperatures and irregular weather patterns, stressing the need to find ways to prevent and mitigate natural disasters.

On her part, Mrs Umar said it was on record that “we have worked tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of people affected by disasters and build the resilience of communities in Nigeria to enable them develop their capacity for adaptation to ongoing and emerging hazards.

“This, we have done through the improvement of our early warning systems, sensitisation and awareness campaigns, development and review of plans and policies, regular stakeholders’ engagement and the prepositioning of relief materials for deployment in the event of sudden onset disasters.”

She noted that the collaboration between NEMA and UN-OCHA had been instrumental in enabling the agency to enhance its response capabilities and reach out to more people in need.