Please refer to the attached file.
2. Rationale
2.1 Background
According to IOM Nigeria Crisis Response Plan 2024-2025,5 the country continues to face a severe humanitarian and protection crisis, particularly in the Northeast, Northcentral, and Northwest regions, affecting millions over the past 13 years. In the Northeast, conflicts involving non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and military operations have caused extensive displacement and human rights abuses. In the Northwest, escalating farmer-herder conflicts, criminal activities, and climate impacts, such as floods and droughts, have worsened the situation. As reported by UNICEF NHSR 20256, 8.8 million people in Northern Nigeria need humanitarian assistance, including 4.9 million children. The humanitarian situation in Northwest Nigeria has further deteriorated compared to 2024, with marked increases in displacement, food insecurity, and malnutrition. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) across six states – Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, and Kebbi has risen to 718,126, reflecting a significant increase from the estimated 678,000 IDPs reported in 2024. In 2025, an estimated 5.18 million people are projected to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phases 3 and 4) between June and August in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina, up from around 4.3 million people during the same period in 2024. This alarming increase is attributed to a combination of continued violence, loss of livelihoods, poor agricultural yields, and climate-related shocks.7
According to the latest HNO figures (2025)8, an estimated 7.8 million people are in need in the Northeast a slight decrease from the 8.3 million people in 2024. Needs vary in severity across geographic areas and among different types of affected groups, such as returnees, host communities, and internally displaced people. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) shows a severe acute malnutrition crisis in Northeast Nigeria, with over half of the analysed LGAs in Phase 3 (Serious) or Phase 4 (Critical) as of late 2024, impacting millions of children and pregnant women. Key drivers include conflict-induced displacement, poor economic conditions, flooding, and limited access to water and sanitation.9 Building on the background information presented above, FCDO has mandated a consortium made by IMPACT Initiatives (Consortium Lead), and FACT Foundation (Consortium Partner) to conduct a Third Party Monitoring (TPM) programme on four selected HARP IPs: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and Première Urgence Internationale (PUI). The programme is made up of five components. They are Component 1: Independent Monitoring and Verification Services, Component 2: Thematic Research and Deep Dives, Component (concluded in Year 1) 3: Risk Monitoring, Component 4: Ad hoc Verification Assessment, and Component 5: Lessons Learned Workshop.
Here below is a short summary of the scope and thematic focus of the HARP-funded activities that will be monitored as part of this TPM:
• UNICEF: Under the FCDO HARP, UNICEF is implementing two complementary projects that are tackling food and nutrition insecurity while building resilience among children, adolescents and women. In Northeast Nigeria, a project titled Multisectoral Integrated Nutrition Action (MINA II), and in Northwest Nigeria a project titled Multi-Sectoral Integrated Resilience Programme (MIRP). Both aim to address the food and nutrition security challenges and improve nutrition outcomes in the regions through a gender transformative, inclusive, multi-sectoral response that builds the resilience of communities and systems to respond to multiple shocks, aiming to significantly reduce malnutrition among children, adolescent girls, and mothers affected by the humanitarian crisis.
• WFP: Implementation of two complementary projects. In Northeast Nigeria the project is titled Food Assistance Support, and its objective is to support food-insecure IDPs, refugees, returnees, and host community members with cash-based transfer in crisis-prone areas to have access to adequate and nutritious food, as well as early recovery activities to meet their immediate needs and promote cohesive households and communities. In Northwest Nigeria, the project is titled Resilience Building and Smallholder Farmers Support, and its objective is to enhance the resilience and incomes of smallholder farmers through climate-smart production support, market integration, and community-based safety nets.
• DRC: Under the project Comprehensive Protection Monitoring, Strengthening of Emergency Response Initiatives and Community-Based Protection Groups Support, DRC aims to identify, document, and respond to protection and human rights violations affecting conflict-impacted populations in Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara States. The project supports IDPs, returnees, and vulnerable host community members through integrate d protection monitoring, rapid protection assessments, and gender-responsive analysis, enabling timely referrals, individual protection assistance (IPA), and multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to meet urgent needs.
• PUI: Focused on improving safety, dignity, and resilience for conflict-affected populations in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria, PUI is implementing the Lifesaving, Empowerment and Resilience Project (LEARP). The initiative prioritises comprehensive, survivor-centred care for those affected by sexual violence, particularly conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), alongside other GBV risks. Services include clinical management of rape, sexual and reproductive health care, psychosocial support, legal counselling, dignity kits, and targeted cash assistance. The project aims to strengthen referral systems, improve access to essential services, and foster inclusive, resilient communities in Borno, Katsina, and Zamfara States.