World Bank Comes To Nigeria’s Aid
Yesterday Thursday, 20th April 2017, the World Bank promised to deploy every tool and financial support required to respond to the famine plaguing some parts of northern Nigeria and some other countries across the globe. It has ben revealed that it is currently working with partners in Nigeria to bring the situation under control.
The President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, gave the assurance in his opening remarks at the ongoing World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings in Washington DC.
The devastation by Boko Haram, which has left millions of people in North-east Nigeria on the brink of famine, could exacerbate Europe’s migration crisis if the world fails to act urgently, Nigeria’s chief humanitarian coordinator, Ayoade Alakija, had said.
Nearly five million people in the region are desperately hungry and risk starving to death this year if they do not receive food aid, according to figures from the United Nations.The UN had described the current wave of famine as the worst in 70 years.
Alakija warned that this unfortunate situation could drive even more Nigerians to flee the country and attempt the perilous journey to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea unless the international community ramps up support and funds,
“The world could see a mass exodus from a country of 180 million people if support is not given, and fast … if people facing famine fall into famine,” she stated.
But the World Bank boss pointed out that with the famine in Nigeria and some other countries, “the world was caught unprepared.”
According to him, “Too often, we forget about crises as soon as they abate – leading to a cycle of panic and neglect. We’re already working with the affected countries and partners to respond to the famine – and we will use every tool we have, financial and advisory, to prevent famine in the future. On Saturday, I will convene a meeting co-chaired by the United Nations-Secretary General to ensure a coordinated, effective, and well-resourced response.
“This won’t be easy. It will require agreement across the entire international development finance system – multilateral and bilaterals – to move the global development architecture in this direction,” Kim said.
Also, the schedule of ongoing meetings showed that the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, would be discussing a global strategy for resettling and integrating Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into society as well as to seek global support for the IDPs.
Meanwhile, Kim noted that with the internet, smartphones, and social media allowing everyone to see exactly how everyone else lives, which was causing aspirations to rise all over the world, “we must change the way we work.
“We are encouraged to see stronger economic prospects after years of disappointing global growth. There are still many downside risks, however, and countries that have the fiscal space need to continue with structural reforms. This is vital to accelerating the sustainable and inclusive economic growth needed to end extreme poverty by 2030.
