Red Cross to raise N23 billion against hunger crisis in Nigeria

As part of efforts to end the hunger crisis in Nigeria, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal to raise N23 billion to support the Nigerian Red Cross Society.

The head of the delegation for the humanitarian network, Bhupinder Tomar, made this known at a media chat in Abuja on Monday.

Mr Tomar said Nigeria is currently facing an unprecedented hunger crisis this year, hence the need to support those unsure of where their next meal will come from.

He said about 1,092,300 people would benefit from the aid.

“We are trying to raise CHF 27 million to support the hunger crisis in the country,” he said."

About 1,092,300 people will receive the aid in the form of cash assistance, food and nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene.”

In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Oluyemisi Adeaga, said the rising number of people experiencing food insecurity is a threat to the country’s peace and stability.

Mr Adeaga said Nigeria, like every other great nation, must prioritise the food needs of its citizens.

He said addressing hunger in the nation is not just a matter of dignity, but a matter of urgent national security.

“We call on all well-meaning people and organisations to join the efforts of the Nigerian Red Cross Society to bring relief to some of the most vulnerable members of our society who now face the human indignity of not knowing where their next meal will come from,” he said.

In 2022, Nigeria was ranked 103 out of 121 countries in the 2022 Global Hunger Index.

This makes it the second consecutive year in which Nigeria’s ranking on the scale remains the same. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, ranked 103 out of 116 countries in 2021 and 98 among 107 countries in 2020.

According to the report, some 828 million people were affected by hunger globally in 2021, an increase of about 46 million people since 2020 and 150 million people since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The index indicates that the highest levels of hunger were in “Africa South of the Sahara” and South Asia – with progress against hunger in these regions having stagnated in recent years.

Mr Adeaga said an estimated 828 million people, about 10 per cent of the global population, go to bed hungry every day.

He said in Nigeria, about 25 million are at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition, many of them women and children.

“Indeed, the urgency of the situation is not lost on President Bola Tinubu who declared a state of emergency on food insecurity and ordered the immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers,” he said.

President Tinubu also approved that all matters pertaining to food and water availability as well as affordability, as essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National Security Council.”