Humanitarian Assistance for Conflict-Affected People in North-East Nigeria - CARE 2021

February 2021 - Nearly twelve years of conflict between Islamist insurgents and government forces in northeastern Nigeria have left the region facing a desperate humanitarian crisis characterized by mass population displacement and severe human rights abuses including abductions killings and sexual violence. Destruction of infrastructure has left most of the population without access to safe water sanitation or healthcare and widespread food insecurity exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left the region on the brink of famine. Across the three conflict-affected states of Adamawa Borno and Yobe an estimated 8.9 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2021. With GAC’s support CARE is improving access to healthcare particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services and protection for conflict-affected internally displaced persons and host communities in Nigeria’s Borno state. Project activities include: (1) providing training and support for local health facilities with a focus on SRHR; (2) providing case-management and other services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) or those at risk; and (3) engagement with community stakeholders to improve understanding of and response to protection risks.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) reduced rates of morbidity and mortality due to illness and injury; and (2) reduced vulnerability to SGBV and other protection risks amongst conflict-affected populations in Borno State. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.