The agency's Head of Communications said the fund allows donors to pool their contributions for a stronger and timelier response.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) set up by the United Nations has generated 24 million dollars to tackle humanitarian crisis in Nigeria.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued by Ms Samantha Newport, Head of Communications, UNOCHA Nigeria, which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
Newport said the NHF has received $24 million in contributions and pledges.
She said UNOCHA thanks the generous support of Sweden, Germany, Norway, Belgium, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, the Arab Gulf Program for Development, Malta and Sri Lanka.
She added that the fund allows donors to pool their contributions for a stronger and timelier response to the needs of those most affected by the ongoing crisis in the North East.
“This year, the UN and partners are aiming to reach 6.9 million people with life-saving aid in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, which are most affected by the humanitarian emergency in Nigeria,’’ she said.
The statement also quoted Mr Peter Lundberg, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, saying that the appeal for 2017, detailed in the Humanitarian Response Plan, is for 1.05 billion dollars.
Lundberg said it is the fourth largest single-country appeal globally, stressing: “We need to do more, we need to do it quicker and we can always do better.
“Funding for the Nigeria appeal this year is pivotal, and I am delighted that donors are fulfilling commitments to the new fund, which will help us respond quicker to new priorities.
“But we need to step up our collective response – the $1 billion appeal is still only 20 per cent funded and millions need help in what is Africa’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NHF was launched during the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region in February.
The fund is managed by the UNOCHA.
UNOCHA plays a vital role in ensuring an effective, coordinated, prioritised and principled humanitarian response in Nigeria.
The NHF provides funding to international and national NGOs, UN agencies, funds and programmes, and Red Cross/Red Crescent organisations, with a focus on the front-line responders
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