Korean government has donated $500,000 to the United Nations Population Fund to help scale up support for fistula repairs and emergency obstetrics care in Borno state.
The Korean Republic International Cooperation Agency (KOICA )has also asked UNFPA to submit a multi-year proposal of $5million to scale-up humanitarian work in Borno.
Representatives of both sides, UNFPA’s Beatrice Mutali, and Kyu-Duk Noh, the Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to Nigeria, have both been in Borno to assess needs.
Borno state governor Kashim Shettima has welcomed the donation and urged “quick intervention to meet life-saving needs of affected communities, early recovery and resilience in building of social services, economic infrastructure and livelihood support programmes,” according to a statement from UNFPA.
“The State sees it as a game-changer for any surviving girl-child to have access to education, and partners can come in to support the State in infrastructure, such as rebuilding schools and restoring health centres”, the Governor appealed.
The Korean Ambassador had earlier pledged his Government’s resolve to partner with UNFPA to work in Borno. Mr. Noh noted that, even though KOICA, had been working in Nigeria, it was an opportunity for the government to choose to be in at least three selected local government areas and ensure that its assistance positively affected the lives of the people.
“We in the Republic of Korea know and understand what the people of Borno are going through because there was a time when my country was depending on donors’ funding and, as the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed,” said the Korean ambassador.
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