Thousands of people are without access to food despite world leaders’ commitment to improve humanitarian response.
As attacks by armed groups have displaced thousands of people in the North-Nigerian state of Borno, father-of-five Ali sought shelter in a displacement camp in nearby town Dikwa. But after three weeks in Dikwa, Ali has still not received food aid.
Although seven NGOs are currently working around the clock to provide shelter, food aid, and medical health services to 60,000 internally displaced people in Dikwa, famine is looming in the area.
Until now, Ali has survived on the goodwill and societal values of his neighbours, who has been sharing the little food they have left with him and his family.
Doing more and doing better
Although world leaders committed to make humanitarian financing and response more efficient and effective during the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, many families are going hungry in Dikwa.
Hameed has been living in his makeshift tent for the past year. He has only recently started receiving a monthly food ration from the humanitarian community.
Many people are not able to access their farm land because of the unsafe security situation. There are almost daily organised military escort movements between Dikwa and nearby village Maiduguri. But as a food truck was attacked and looted in March, many organisations use this as a last resort.
Meanwhile, the internally displaced population of Dikwa are using various coping mechanisms like drying the food remains. This way they can be cooked at a later time of total scarcity. But as up to 100 new displaced people arrives Dikwa every day, the food demand is drastically increasing.
