Progress made but Lake Chad crisis is not over, says UN relief chief, urging greater support for region

Despite improvements in the humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad region, millions continue to remain dependent on lifesaving assistance, the top United Nations relief official said on 3 September, urging greater international support for the region to safeguard the progress achieved.

“There is still a big humanitarian crisis. [It is] not over despite the progress we have made,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock told a high-level humanitarian conference on the region.

However, humanitarian needs continue to grow and so do the resources needed to respond. Of the $1.58 billion required for 2018, only about $600 million (38 percent) has been received (as of 25 July).

“The appeal we had on the humanitarian response plan this year has been generously financed but not to the degree where any of us can be comfortable that we can meet the needs of the people we can reach, still less of those we are still trying to reach,” added Mr. Lowcock, urging additional funding and resources.

Alongside life-saving humanitarian response, addressing the underlying cause is vital to ensure the lasting solution to the crisis, highlighted the UN relief chief, noting the need to scale up longer-term resilience and development assistance as well as promoting stabilization.

“If we can make more progress with peace building, good governance, the creation of jobs and education opportunities – and the respect of human rights – we work indeed with the underlying issues and this is what we need to do,” he said.

UNICEF has called for $41.7 million to meet the education needs of children in the crisis but has received just 8 percent of this amount in the first half of 2018.

Other sectoral priories include food security and nutrition; emergency shelter and non-food items; protection; health; water, hygiene and sanitation; and early recovery.

Original source: UN News
Published on 3 September 2018