UNITED NATIONS, Jan 19 (NNN-XINHUA) — In a pressing appeal issued on Thursday, a senior United Nations (UN) humanitarian official urged the international community to increase support for Niger, a nation grappling with a severe multifaceted crisis.
Edem Wosornu, director of operations and advocacy at the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted the dire situation via a video link from Niamey, the capital of Niger.
Wosornu emphasized the critical condition of approximately 4.3 million people in Niger, over half of whom are children, affected by “conflict, climate-induced disasters, hunger, and epidemics.”
A military coup in July 2023 and subsequent political instability have further worsened the situation. “The people need help now,” Wosornu said.
During her visit to Niger, Wosornu met with authorities, aid organizations, and affected communities, including a visit to Diffa in the remote southeast. This area hosts refugees who have fled from Nigeria due to Boko Haram militants.
The UN’s humanitarian efforts in Niger require approximately 662 million U.S. dollars, but funding challenges and difficulties in accessing affected populations are major obstacles. “Without funds and access, we will not be able to reach people as quickly and as sufficiently as we need to,” Wosornu said.
Echoing UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths and other principles of the Interagency Standing Committee (IASC), Wosornu called for action beyond words.
“They reminded us that for years the world has agreed that we must help the people of the Sahel. Now is the time to turn these words into action,” she said, urging the global community to stand with the people of the Sahel, including Nigeriens, in their time of need. — NNN-XINHUA
