The G7, consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, has pledged $389 million to aid Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram.
Catriona Laing, the British high commissioner in Nigeria, stated that the fund will help address the worsening humanitarian crisis in northeast Nigeria, which has been most impacted by the insurgency.
“It is vital we act now to avert further deterioration in the food security situation of millions of people affected by the conflict,” said Laing in a released press statement.
“Just as the UK is working with Nigerian partners to find solutions to the crisis in the North East, the G7 are working together to find global solutions to global problems and protect those hardest hit by these challenges. Together we can shape a better future.
The British High Commission in Nigeria also stated that Great Britain will lead the 2021 G7 humanitarian effort.
On Wednesday, May 12, the G7 agreed to provide an initial £5 billion in humanitarian assistance to 42 countries in need, with additional funding to come over the next year.
The statement read: “The initial funding includes £1 billion in aid prioritised to the three countries at greatest risk –Yemen, South Sudan and Nigeria – to be provided as soon as possible to save lives.”
The Commission also called for increased efforts to ensure safe access to humanitarian workers in northeast Nigeria, since these communities suffer the consequences of war on a daily basis, including the estimated one million civilians who live in areas inaccessible to humanitarian aid.
Since 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency has killed about 36,000 people and displaced about two million Nigerians.
