FAO wants $62m from UN to support farming, humanitarian projects in Nigeria

Nourou Tall, Acting Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Country Representative in Nigeria, has called on the United Nations (UN) to issue $62 million to support farming during the wet-season in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states under the Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria.

Tall who disclosed the request while addressing journalists in Maiduguri on Thursday said, “FAO is asking for $62 million under the Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria. A combination of food assistance and food production support is the only way to address the scale of hunger facing the people of north-eastern Nigeria.’’
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva


He explained that about 30 percent of the money ($20 million) will be used to support farming in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states during the upcoming planting season in June 2017. The remaining amount would be used to fund other humanitarian projects in the states.


“Missing the main planting season will force many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees and vulnerable host communities to rely on expensive and challenging food assistance well into 2018.This will have a broad negative impact on rising hunger, lack of economic and employment opportunities as well as possible harmful consequences, including youth radicalization,” Tall said.

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