UN relief chief to visit Niger, Nigeria

The UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, will travel to Niger and Nigeria, on May 16-19, to take stock of the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad Basin, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced here Friday.

The trip comes ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) as part of the efforts to prepare for the first-ever UN summit, which is scheduled for May 23-24 in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the crisis in the Lake Chad Basin, including Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, has continuously deteriorated over the last two years, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing.

"Insecurity, violence by Boko Haram and counter-insurgency measures have uprooted over 2.4 million people, making it the fastest growing displacement crisis in Africa," the spokesman said.

In the worst-affected areas, almost half the population -- 9.2 million people -- need assistance, he said. "More than 3 million of them are affected by food insecurity."

O'Brien, who is also the UN emergency relief coordinator, told reporters here early this month that the goal of the Istanbul summit is to revamp, re-inspire and reinvigorate how aid is managed for now 125 million people "in dire need," nearly half of them conflict refugees and migrants.

"We want to make a better world," he said while briefing the reporters here on the upcoming summit. Endit