Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
10 March 2020
Question: Baroness Cox, Crossbench
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what humanitarian assistance they are providing to internally displaced people in Nigeria’s northern and middle belt states; and what steps they have taken to protect civilians displaced by conflict in that country.
Answer: Baroness Sugg, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development
The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in North East Nigeria and is committed to supporting the 1.9 million people who have been forced to flee their homes.
DFID is one of the largest donors to the World Food Programme‘s emergency operation in North East Nigeria, which provides cash and food assistance to those who have been displaced. We also support humanitarian partners including Action Against Hunger, the International Rescue Committee and the United Nations Children’s Fund to deliver emergency healthcare and nutrition, protection services, education to out of school children and access to lifesaving water. We will continue to flex our existing £300 million humanitarian programme to respond to conflict-related shocks and displacement. The UK does not currently provide humanitarian assistance in the middle belt states.
To protect those at risk of attack as a result of the insecurity, the UK’s humanitarian programme includes a £16 million two-year initiative dedicated to providing support to those affected by the conflict in North East Nigeria, particularly victims of sexual and gender-based violence. DFID works with partners, the UN and NGOs to save lives, strengthen resilience, and protect civilians from attacks and violations of international law. To improve the effectiveness of security responses and the protection of civilians in Borno state, the UK is providing up to £800,000 from October 2019 to March 2021.