UNICEF to support Nigeria with $270m for humanitarian response, emergencies 

(Middle) Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, (Right) Country Representative of UNICEF, Cristian Munduate and Chief of Health & HIV/AIDs UNICEF, Eduardo Celades, during a courtesy visit on the Minister in her office in Abuja, on Tuesday.

 

United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), has said it will commit the sum of $270M, (N205, 821, 000, 000), as support to Nigeria’s humanitarian response towards poverty alleviation.

UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate while visiting the minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu in her office, Tuesday in Abuja, said that as Humanitarian actors, UNICEF will continue to support the ministry to better the lives of Nigerian children.

In a statement signed by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Information, Rhoda Illiya, UNICEF assured that it will provide technical support to build capacity of the ministry’s staff as well as support the development of a Humanitarian Response Protocol for Nigeria to guide all humanitarian actors to facilitate effective coordination.

Munduate also said additionally, UNICEF will support the establishment of a National Humanitarian Situation Room or Humanitarian Emergency Operation Centre (H-EOC) to monitor, mitigate and prevent humanitarian emergencies and build resilience in the system.

Responding, Dr. Edu said “The federal government is committed to lifting 133 Million poor Nigerians out of poverty in a phased approach; especially, the 71 Million extremely poor Nigerians who live under one dollar ninety-five cents per day.”

”Time is of essence and we need to run at the speed of light to roll out social programs that will bring relieve to the burdens of the poor. Nigerians are eagerly waiting for full implementation of the renewed hope agenda, the time for intense action is now,” she adds.

The minister said government will be transparent and accountable in all it’s processes of the Ministry and that engagement with partners like UNICEF will continue until Government achieves its target.