NEW YORK -- The United Nations has allocated $5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to Nigeria to mitigate the impact of floods predicted in the country.
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, who made the announcement, said the early allocation was in response to severe flood forecasts, which experts warn could displace thousands and worsen food insecurity in vulnerable areas.
Fletcher explained that the CERF intervention complements a $2 million allocation earlier approved from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund.
Together, the funds are expected to help frontline partners deliver life-saving support to at-risk communities.
UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters in New York on Wednesday that humanitarian partners supported by the funds would focus primarily on Adamawa State in north-east Nigeria, where some 350,000 people are expected to receive assistance.
The intervention package includes food supplies, cash transfers, and shelter support to help affected households withstand the impact of flooding.
He added that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was extending similar anticipatory action to other countries in West Africa facing heavy rainfall and flood risks.
In Burkina Faso, OCHA has released $1 million from the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa to assist people in the Centre-Nord and Sahel regions.
According to Dujarric, the Burkina Faso funds will enable two local non-governmental organisations to provide emergency food, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene support to about 35,000 people.
"This is the first time that resources have been released from one of OCHA's regional funds as part of anticipatory action efforts. It reflects close monitoring and collaboration between the UN, our humanitarian partners, and national authorities in the region," he said.
The UN stressed that such anticipatory measures are critical in saving lives and reducing the humanitarian and economic costs of disasters, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change.