The Country Representative of United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Ms Christian Munduate says over 180,000 children have not received any form of vaccination from eight local government areas of Borno state.
The local government areas are Damboa, Gubio, Mafa, Jere, Konduga, Maiduguri Metropolitan, Monguno and Ngala.
Ms Munduate stated this at a media briefing as part of activities marking the 2023 World Humanitarian Day in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
She attributed it to negative cultural practice, inadequate health facilities in the affected areas, lack of health personnel, and poor supervision.
She pointed out that resistance to immunization from some members of the community has led to resurgence of some vaccine preventable diseases such as diphtheria, measles among others.
The UNICEF official stressed the need for government agencies and development partners to join hand and embark on door-to-door campaign to ensure more children were vaccinated.
Ms Munduate acknowledged the courage and resilience of humanitarian workers in the North-East and the country for providing life-saving support to IDPs and disadvantaged children.
In a related development, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mathias Schmale has appealed for $ 1.3 billion to provide assistance for vulnerable people in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria.
Mr Mathias Schmale stated that the agency and its partners have assisted six million people in the northeast through the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and called for additional funding for the programme.
“Humanitarians on the frontline in northeast Nigeria work each day to ensure assistance is accessible to the most vulnerable women, men, and children, no matter who they are or where they are.
“Deteriorating food security and nutrition situation is one of the most alarming aspects of the crisis in the region with an estimate of 4.3 million people and some two million children under five are likely to face acute malnutrition this year, according to the Cadre Harmonise assessment in March 2023.
“Humanitarian work is difficult and dangerous, but we don’t give up on our commitment to overcome the challenges and deliver life-saving assistance to people in need, #NoMatterWhat,” he said.
The UN Coordinator added that “No Matter What” the humanitarian community would continue to work together in support of government and other key actors to save, protect, and improve lives.
In a remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo quoted the UNHCR Operating Data, saying 3,578,966 internally displaced people were recorded as of June 2023 in the North East, North West, and North Central regions of Nigeria.
“Families, venerable and resilient, find themselves navigating dire circumstances, often contending with acute needs such as sustenance, shelter, water, protection, and livelihoods”, he said.
Dr Sani-Gwarzo stated that both the Government of Nigeria and the entire humanitarian community have redoubled their efforts to provide meaningful responses in addressing food security, pricing, and sustainability.
The UN General Assembly in 2018 set aside August 19 as World Humanitarian Day (WHD) to recognizing the efforts of humanitarian workers who risk their lives to help those in need around the world.
According to the United Nation, the 2023 WHD campaign marks the 20th anniversary of the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, that led to the commemoration of the day.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
Latest posts by Hassan Umar Shallpella (Regional Correspondent) (see all)
previous
NDLEA partners with Naira Marley in the campaign against drug abuse
next
