Skip to main content

UNICEF Nigeria Humanitarian Situation Report, 1-31 July 2019

Countries
Nigeria
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

Highlights

The reporting period witnessed a high number of security incidents in Borno, including two critical incidents directly affecting humanitarian activities. In Mobbar LGA, the 18 July abduction of six aid workers, and killing of one driver, has made humanitarian road movements between Maiduguri and Damasak very difficult. In Pulka (Gwoza LGA), water supply has temporarily decreased to only 4 liters of water per person per day, following the killing of the driver of an INGO-rented water truck by a road-planted IED on 23 July.

The nutrition sector pipeline is at immediate risk of rupture, with a predicted stock out of life-saving Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in more than 500 Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) sites by October. UNICEF requires at least USD 3.5 million to place orders for RUTF (and an additional USD 3.4 million for regular nutrition activities). All nutrition sector partners rely on this RTUF pipeline to treat severe acutely malnourished children.

4.2 million Children in need of humanitarian assistance (Humanitarian Response Plan, 2019)

7.1 million People in need of humanitarian assistance in the northeast states of Borno, Adamawa & Yobe (HRP, 2019)

6.1 million People targeted in the northeast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (HRP, 2019)

1.79 million Internally displaced people in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states (IOM DTM Round XXVII, May 2019)

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

The security situation in northeast Nigeria remained volatile with a significant spike in the number of security incidents registered in the second half of July compared to the first half of the month.

Two critical incidents impacting humanitarian actors were recorded during this reporting period in Borno, resulting in the further reduction of humanitarian access along the Maiduguri-Gubio-Damasak road as well as the Gwoza-Pulka road.

On 18 July, an attack on civilian vehicles traveling through Kinnari in Mobbar LGA resulted in the death of a rental car driver and the abduction of six aid workers (including one INGO staff member). Negotiations for the release of the abducted workers are still underway at the time of reporting. Additionally, on 23 July, an NGO-rented water truck traveling on the Pulka-Gwoza road ran over a road-planted IED, resulting in the death of the driver and the injury of his assistant. In another particularly violent incident on 27 July, armed men entered Damaran village in Nganzai LGA and killed 12 local civilians, returning to the same location later in the day to kill a further 58 civilians.

Ongoing conflict, military operations and poor living conditions resulted in 6,590 new arrivals and 2,131 departures across the three northeast states during the reporting period1. The period also witnessed returnees to Nigeria from Cameroon (1,363), Chad (183) and Niger (273). Overall population movement remained somewhat lower than in recent months due to the onset of the rainy season, which is hampering road access.

Cholera continues to pose a significant threat to the lives of conflict-affected communities. In Adamawa State, 434 cholera cases were recorded by the end of July, with 4 deaths (representing a case fatality rate of 0.92 %). The outbreak has been restricted to four LGAs, with Yola North and Girei reporting the highest numbers of cases (259 and 140 cases respectively), while Yola South and Song have recorded a much smaller number of cases (34 and 1 case respectively). In Borno, at least four LGAs (Bama, Monguno, MMC and Jere) have reported cholera alerts, with samples currently being tested in the national laboratory to confirm the official declaration of an outbreak.

The nutrition response is reporting urgent funding shortfalls, which have already forced the closure of some activities (including outreach through UNICEF community mobilizers) and is now threatening to halt nutrition activities in 7 UNICEF-supported LGAs of Yobe state. In addition, UNICEF urgently requires funding for the nutrition sector pipeline for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). Given the delivery time for this commodity, UNICEF requires additional funds as soon as possible to avoid an RUTF pipeline break in October.