Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of United Nations (UN), has declared that it will continue adopt the Cadre Harmonise (CH) tool analysis in food and nutrition vulnerability situation in Nigeria. The CH tool, according to UN Organisation, is part of Economic of West African States (ECOWAS) regional framework for consensual analysis of acute food insecurity situations in 16 northern states. Acting FAO representative in Nigeria, Al Hassan Cisse in a statement Saturday in Maiduguri, said that; “The CH tool analysis, aims to strengthen food security information and analysis across West Africa, including Nigeria, affected by decade long conflict in Northeast.
He said this led FAO and Government of Nigeria and other key partners, including Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) to have adopted CH tool analysis in 2015. “We’ve been conducting the CH tool analysis twice a year,” he said; adding that the outcome of analysis provided early warning information that triggers actions for governments, humanitarian actors and development partners. According to Cisse, the tripartite actions lead to reducing food insecurity and malnutrition vulnerability. On CH tool analysis coverage, he said: “The CH process began with eight frontline states in 2015. “The coverage also extended to 16 Northern states, comprising the middle belt and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2017.” He said in addition to FCT, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe, Borno, Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, Benue and Plateau states were also included into tool analysis on food insecurity. He said the results of CH analysis; is now the benchmark for the UN Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plans (HRP) for the northeast, especially the insurgency affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
“We’ve built the capacity of the relevant officials of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at national and sub-national levels to undertake the analysis with little or no external guidance. “FAO operationalizes the CH by utilizing the vulnerability mapping of the CH to target the most vulnerable in its interventions,” he said. On sustaining CH partnership, he said that the process has built capacity of the experts of MDAs at national and sub-national levels. According to him, the MDAs are therefore; to undertake the analysis with little or no external guidance. He said that the next CH analysis is slated for March, 2020 in Abuja.
