By Samuel
With over 7 million Nigerians reported to be in a difficult food situation due to humanitarian crises, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has extended support to the government to curb food insecurity in crisis-hit areas of the country.
The Commission, over the weekend, donated nearly 4,000 tonnes of grains to the Federal Government to cushion the effects of the crisis on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and children.
A harmonised framework on Identifying Risk Areas by ECOWAS established that 7,087,102 Nigerians were currently facing a food crisis in the country.
An initial intervention by ECOWAS to the government included 1,196 tonnes of cereals financed by the Commission’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund for Disaster and Emergency Relief to Member States affected by humanitarian crises.
The Commission further donated 2,803 tonnes of grains to the government, funded by the resources of the Regional Food Security Storage Support Project, also financed by the European Union.
ECOWAS revealed that the intervention was targeted at mitigating and providing durable solutions to complex emergencies including natural and humanitarian disasters, and their resultant effects.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Water Resources and Environment, ECOWAS, Mr. Sangare Sekou, said that the Commission was putting strategies in place to fast-track ECOWAS Disaster Risk Reduction Policy.
Sekou said that ECOWAS was concerned about the rise in humanitarian crises in the country, a situation aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commission, he noted, was committed to upholding solidarity with Nigeria and all member states.
Nigeria, he added, was key to the economic prosperity of West Africa and the entire continent.
Minister for Humanitarian, Disasters Management and Social Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, who received the donations, lauded the Commission for the gesture through its Regional Food Security Reserve.
ECOWAS’ Regional Food Security Reserve was set up to strengthen the resolve of member states in providing rapid food and nutrition assistance.
According to Farouq, the intervention will complement the efforts of the Federal Government in cushioning the effects of the pandemic on the displaced citizens.
The Federal Government had distributed 70,000 metric tonnes of grains to the poorest and vulnerable households across the country in the last four months, she revealed.