The United Nations has released $5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to cushion the impact of severe floods forecast in Nigeria.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said the intervention is part of proactive measures to support vulnerable communities and complements an earlier $2 million allocation from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund.
UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, told journalists in New York on Wednesday that the funds will enable partners to provide food, cash, and shelter assistance to about 350,000 people in Adamawa State, one of the areas at high risk of flooding.
In a related development, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also released $1 million to mitigate the impact of expected floods in Burkina Faso, following heavy rains. The support, drawn from the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa, will allow two local NGOs to deliver food, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene services to around 35,000 people in Centre-Nord and Sahel regions.
Dujarric noted that this is the first time OCHA has disbursed resources from one of its regional funds as part of anticipatory action. He stressed that the move reflects stronger monitoring and collaboration between the UN, humanitarian partners, and national authorities.
