Tag: United Nations

Nigerians hurting, as food inflation exceeds global record – UN 

Aminu Imam

A United Nations (UN) report has revealed that global food prices have declined a second consecutive time in July 2021. In the report, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) price index, which tracks changes in international prices of the most globally traded food commodities, recorded 123 points for July 2021, shedding 1.2 percent of June’s numbers. This global drop, it is reported, mainly came from activities that revolve around the production and supply of essential household food items like cereals, vegetable oils and dairy products. Reduction in the price of…

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$1bn Fund: UN sets up Task Force on food crisis in the North – Official 

Aminu Imam

The United Nations, (UN), has established a Task Force to collaborate with other aid organisations to tackle food insecurity in Northern Nigeria. The spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, disclosed this yesterday, during a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, United States. The UN said over $1 billion would be needed to implement the Humanitarian Response Plan in northern Nigeria, adding that, of the amount, $250 million is needed to help the hardest-to-reach people to receive food. According to the official, “Our humanitarian colleagues in Nigeria…

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Nigerians need urgent help to avert worst food crisis in four years – UN

Aminu Imam

“Our colleagues tell us that 8.7 million people in Nigeria need urgent assistance, including 2.2 million displaced people.” The United Nations, (UN), has warned of an impending food crisis in Nigeria, calling for global support to avert the potential catastrophe. According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Nigeria’s Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks over one billion dollars, is only one-third funded. The Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, said this while briefing correspondents at UN headquarters in New York, on Friday on the humanitarian situation in the North-East. “Our humanitarian colleagues warned…

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Globally, 3 in 5 babies are not breastfed in the first hour of life – UN

Aminu Imam

By Musa Tijjani Only 44 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed by their mothers in the first six months, which falls far short of the global targets of 50 percent by 2025. The officer-in-charge (OIC), UNICEF Field Office Kano, Mr. Micheal Banda, stated this during the media dialogue organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Abubakar Rimi Television Kano, to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week 2021, at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano State. Banda said breastfeeding plays an important role in the life of the child, “…and experts assert that the first…

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Insecurity: Food insecurity looms in Northern Nigeria — United Nations

Aminu Imam

The United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP), Global Environment Facility, (GEF) says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had warned that people in northern Nigeria are at risk of acute food insecurity. The UN-FAO projected that an estimated 13 million people in the area face the risk of acute food insecurity in the next few months. The Project Manager, UNDP – GEF, in-charge of Resilient Food Security Project, Rhoda Dia, gave out this information yesterday, while speaking with newsmen in Abuja. Ms. Dia said the warning had become imperative because the…

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Buhari pushes for Amina Mohammed to become UN Chief

Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari is pushing for the Nigerian Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, (UN), Amina Mohammed, to become its next Secretary-General. Buhari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, made his aim known at a symposium organised by the Center for Public Research and Development in honour of Mohammed’s 60th birthday. The president noted that the Deputy UN Secretary-General deserves to rise a step higher in the UN, based on her leadership ability and numerous achievements both at home and abroad.  Mohammed was recently reappointed to…

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Insecurity: Boko Haram war has led to 350,000 deaths – UN

Aminu Imam

…Says more than 90% are children…170 dying every day A new United Nations (UN) report estimates that the 12-year conflict in north-eastern Nigeria has contributed to the deaths of nearly 350,000 people – more than 90% of whom are children. The death toll, given by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in a new study on the war and its effect on livelihoods published yesterday, is 10 times higher than previous estimates of about 35,000 based only on those killed in fighting in Nigeria since violence broke out. The UNDP stated that…

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2.6 million Nigerians face food crisis in North-East – UN Report

Aminu Imam

Over 2.6 million people are at risk of facing a food crisis in the North-East, a report by the United Nations, Borno State government and other partners have shown. The Managing Director, North East Development Commission, (NEDC), Mohammed Akali, made this known during a roundtable meeting with stakeholders on the humanitarian situation in the region.  He said the NEDC was mobilising resources to stockpile food to intervene in an event of an emergency and stressed the need for a coordinated approach by all actors in the humanitarian and development cycle…

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Nigeria’s population has hit 211 million – UN

Aminu Imam

Nigeria’s population has been estimated to be 211.4 million by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It also estimated that the life expectancy for Nigerian men is 54 and that of women, 56. Recall that in 2020, the UN estimated Nigeria’s population to be 206.1 million and put the life expectancy at 55 years. The new figures are in the UNFPA’s ‘State of the World Population 2021’ report. The report was launched by Ulla Muella, UNFPA country representative; Pauline Tallen, minister of women affairs, and Nasir Kwara, chairman of the…

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‘Nigeria’s food insecurity at level not seen since 2016’ – UN agency

Aminu Imam

…Expected to worsen this summer Nigeria is facing a level of food insecurity not seen since 2016-2017, mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic, rising conflict, and floods, a UN agency has said. Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe are the most affected States and the situation is expected to further deteriorate this summer “if no mitigation actions are taken,” according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Adverse effects of the pandemic and related containment measures, along with high food prices are among the main drivers of food insecurity, an FAO report…

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