UN seeks 2.7 bln USD to aid 13 mln people in Nigeria, South Sudan

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations and partners have launched humanitarian response plans totaling 2.7 billion US dollars to assist 13 million people in Nigeria and South Sudan, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

The larger program, seeking 1.7 billion dollars, is for aid to 6.6 million people in South Sudan in need of assistance and protection, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Humanitarians seek urgent funding to prevent further deterioration of a violent situation that needs to stop so that South Sudan can finally recover and rebuild, Dujarric told a regular briefing.

"We are seeking 1 billion US dollars to help 6.4 million of the most vulnerable people, among 8.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Nigeria," he added.

Most of the funds will go toward the response to the humanitarian crisis in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.

"More than 5 million people in the region risk acute hunger in the forthcoming lean season because of escalating conflict, displacement, and livelihood disruptions due to the pandemic restrictions," the spokesman said. "This is the worst outlook in four years."

Last year, humanitarians received just over half of the funding needed for the plan. Despite the low amount, the partners helped more than 5 million people in Nigeria.

Dujarric also said the UN Refugee Agency has launched a 1.2-billion-dollar plan to help 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees in five neighboring countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.

Nearly two-thirds of them are under 18, including 66,000 children separated from their parents, he said. The refugee agency praised the neighbors who hosted the South Sudanese refugees, and called for renewed support from the international community.