Nigeria: Yobe State - Weekly Situation Report No. 11 (As of 20 August 2021)

HIGHLIGHTS

• As the lean season and rainy season progresses, food insecurity in Yobe state is also rising. LGAs in the state that are hard to reach are the most vulnerable.

• The number of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD)/Cholera cases continue to rise with 671 cases reported on 20 August 2021.

• The Yobe State Government led the World Humanitarian Day celebration on 19 August 2021 along with humanitarian partners in Yobe.

• A total of 2,899 households (17,394 persons) living in lowland communities across 11 local government areas (LGAs) in Yobe State have been affected by severe flooding.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Increasing vulnerability resulting in rising levels of hunger

The combination of conflict, COVID-19, increased food prices and the effects of climate change are pushing people to resort to negative coping mechanisms. This is detrimentally affecting livelihoods and access to food, whether it is the reduction of people’s buying power due to the economic downturn, security instability preventing people from planting and harvesting in open fields, or the condition of the soil and environment due to climate change. Localized herder/farmer conflicts in 8 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 2020 resulted in the destruction of crops and population displacement. Flooding from heavy rains along riverine areas also resulted in the destruction of crops. Existing security challenges, the impact of COVID-19, and chronic poverty have all contributed to the current deterioration in the food security situation across the state.

The Yobe State Government led the World Humanitarian Day celebration on 19 August 2021 along with the humanitarian partners in Yobe.

The event was marked by the planting of 15,000 tree in Jakusko LGA led by HE, the Executive Governor of the state. The governor informed that the state is raising 20 million assorted seedlings for land restoration and increased vegetation cover within four years starting from 2020 and that last year, some three million seedlings of assorted species of trees were raised and distributed free of charge to the general public in addition to the establishment of 300 hectares of Gum Arabic plantation in Damaturu, Karasuwa and Yunusari local government areas.
The governor stressed that safeguarding the environment is a task that requires the cooperation and participation of all. He directed that committee for Environment and Sanitation in each of the 17 local government areas to scale up their activities and to liaise with their respective traditional rulers on monitoring and enforcement of the environment and forestry laws of the state in their areas of jurisdiction. The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Information to embark on the sensitization of the public on environmental protection and tree planting. All LGA chairmen, royal traditional leadership to instruct their people to plant trees with immediate effect to replicate the example set in Jakusko. Challenged youth to take lead in protecting the environment. In particular, he directed each of the APC political party youth members and other youths in the state to plant at least five trees this year. The management of all schools across the state to direct their students to plant trees as was the practice 30-40 years ago. All farmers in the state to ensure that they donot cut down all trees within their farms to protect against wind and soil erosion.
Other events conducted during the world celebration included environmental cleaning where humanitarian partners participated with the Ministry of environment cleaning drainages and collected solid waste neighborhoods in Damaturu town which have reported high number of cholera cases. Some radio programs on climate change were also aired in the state radio broadcasting corporation.

A total of 2,899 households (17,394 persons) living in lowland communities across 11 local government areas (LGAs) in Yobe State have been affected by severe flooding.

The LGAs affected include Gulani, Damaturu, Fune, Gujba, Bursari, Karasuwa, Nguru, Jakusko, Fika, Nangere and Tarmuwa. There are fears of increased flooding and inundation of more communities in the days to come as more rains are expected. The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has verified and provided some emergency food support to 42% of the affected households. The Executive Governor of Yobe State has directed the Ministries of Environment, Humanitarian Affairs and the SEMA to liaise with vulnerable communities to relocate them to safer locations to ensure their safety. There are warnings from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) indicating heavy rainfall with massive floods that will affect some states including some parts of Yobe state.