Following years of insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria affecting people’s livelihood, the Government of France has earmarked six point nine million Euros (€6.9m) to tackle malnutrition and food insecurity in the region.
Emmanuelle Blatmann, France Ambassador to Nigeria disclosed this to newsmen after assessing the situation of Internally Displaced Persons at Muna IDP Camp clinic in Jere Local government area of Borno State.
She explained that her visit to Borno state was to assess the intervention by the French government through the World Food Programmed in areas of severe acute malnutrition and food shortage in the state, adding that the French government will continue to invest in the region to better the lives of vulnerable people.
Ambassador Blatmann said France had financed 28 projects worth €21 million to address humanitarian needs, food security and health with over one million people reached across the region in the last three years.
She stressed the need to tackle multiple drivers of conflict such as hunger, insecurity, and climate change.
According to her, due to the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, France World Food Programme and other partners set up an initiative to mitigate the impact of the crisis regarding access to food among vulnerable and displaced people in Borno state.
Ambassador Emmanuelle Blatmann stated that France in the first quarter of 2023 has front-loaded three million euros to WFP to address cases of hunger and malnutrition in the region.
Also, Country Director of World Food Programme David Steven son said the organization will support 2.1 million people under the humanitarian response plan.
