By Philip Yatai

The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Monday promised to create a budget line to ensure effective nutrition response during emergency.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Malam Abubakar Hassan, made the promise when the State Committee on Food and Nutrition supported by Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) visited him in Kaduna.

Hassan acknowledged that women and children were the most affected during emergencies, stressing the need to tailor specific interventions to address their plight, particularly malnutrition.

According to him, the budget line will specifically help in addressing the nutritional needs of displaced women and children in emergencies.

“We will equally reach out to development partners to mobilise the needed resources to fund nutrition sensitive and specific interventions during emergencies.”

He also promised to include the State Nutrition Officer in the State Emergency Response Team to provide technical support in responding to malnutrition crises in emergencies.

He thanked the SCFN and CS-SUNN for the visit, saying that it would strengthen existing partnership and collaboration among critical stakeholders in emergency response.

Earlier, Ms Jessica Bartholomew, State Coordinator, CS-SUNN, pointed out that there was no nutrition budget line in the agency as well as the absence of a nutrition component during assessment of emergencies.

Bartholomew appealed to the agency to make budgetary provision for nutrition related activities in its annual budget and include the state nutrition officer in the state emergency response team.

Also, Malam Salisu Lawal, Director, Development Aid Coordination, Planning and Budget Commission, who led the advocacy team, thanked the agency for the laudable efforts so far.

Lawal pointed out that the budget line, if created, would enable the agency to address issues of malnutrition affecting internally displaced women and children and other affected persons during crises.

Similarly, Mr Umar Bambale, Programme Manager, Kaduna State Nutrition Emergency Action Plan, added that having a dedicated budget line for nutrition would ensure timely access to funds to implement planned activities.

On his part, CS-SUNN Chairman, Mr Ifedilichuku Ekene-Innocent, commended the agency and the state government for the political will, drive and commitment to address the scourge of malnutrition.

Ekene-Innocent particularly applauded the state for the result being recorded in the fight against malnutrition.