A multi-year project funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through German Development Bank, KfW, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, targeting over 500,000 people in conflict-affected areas of Borno and Yobe states, in the North East of Nigeria will benefit from a new humanitarian and development package aimed at enhancing peace.

The project is also meant for increasing livelihood opportunities and providing education, health, nutrition, child protection, and sanitation support to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations.

Those who will benefit are children from 0-23 months, pregnant women, school-age children, adolescent girls, female-headed households, and people with disability will be targeted under the Resilience and Social Cohesion project to be implemented for three years by WFP and UNICEF

The multi-year project will leverage ongoing humanitarian support in Bade Local Government Area (LGA) of Yobe State and Shani LGA of Borno State, while also providing multisectoral interventions to address drivers of conflict and fragility.

The project will support the strengthening of local governance structures to promote social cohesion through community-based processes and the capacity building of government partners.

Armed conflict in the North-East Nigeria has levelled communities, destroyed livelihoods, disrupted essential services for children and adults for about 13 years.

About four million people are in need of food assistance in the North-east due to the protracted insecurity, high food prices and COVID-19 lockdowns.

The situation is further exacerbated by a severe impact of violence and unrest on family income, mental health, nutrition, education and other child protection concerns.

Consequently, across the region, 1.14 million children are acutely malnourished at a scale not seen since 2018.

Said UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, in a joint press statement by UNICEF and WFP on Thursday: “This is a pathway to peace and sustainable development’’. “Children and other vulnerable groups will have a lifeline, and an opportunity to survive and thrive in communities where livelihood and peace building activities are present.”

Continuing Hawkins said: “Conflict in any region is potential instability in the rest of the world. UNICEF is grateful to the German Government for supporting pathways to child survival and peace in north-east Nigeria.”

The statement stressed that the Resilience and Social Cohesion programme will contribute to seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of poverty eradication, zero hunger, access to quality education, gender equality, good health and wellbeing, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions as well as partnership for goals.

The new programme which will focus on peace building, governance capacity strengthening, sustainable livelihood creation, restoration of infrastructures, and provision of life-saving services to 156,888 direct beneficiaries and 362,307 indirect beneficiaries in both LGAs.

In her remarks, as disclosed in the statement Ms. Simone Parchment, Deputy Country Director and Officer in Charge, the World Food Programme Country Office, Nigeria, said, “WFP welcomes this timely and generous support from the Government and people of Germany. This project will support people and communities facing the peril of conflict and hunger in northeast Nigeria, especially in Borno and Yobe states.

“In these affected states, persistent conflict, climate shocks, high food prices and reduced household purchasing power undermine people’s ability to feed themselves and sustain their livelihoods. This contribution from the Government of Germany will go a long way in building resilience, social cohesion and peace in the affected communities,” Parchment said.