$396 million needed to fight hunger in north east, says UN

$396 million needed to fight hunger in north east, says UN

 The United Nations (UN) says $396 million is urgently needed
to avert a catastrophic widespread hunger and malnutrition crisis in Borno,
Adamawa, and Yobe states.

 

The UN made the appeal in a statement on Thursday.

 

According to the statement, more than half a million are at
risk of emergency levels of food insecurity, extremely high rates of acute
malnutrition and cases of mortality if there is no rapid and significant
scale-up of humanitarian assistance.

 

An estimated two million children under five in the three
states are likely to face wasting this year, the UN said, describing it as the
most immediate and life-threatening form of malnutrition.

 

The UN attributed the deepening food crisis to years of protracted
conflict and insecurity, fuel and food inflation, the recent naira scarcity,
and climate shocks.

 

“I have seen firsthand the anguish of mothers fighting for
the lives of their malnourished infants in our partner-run stabilization
centres. This is a situation no one should have to face,” Matthias Schmale, the
UN humanitarian coordinator for Nigeria, said.

 

“I have spoken with children who described going for days
without eating enough. Mothers who said their children go to bed crying from
hunger. Families struggling to feed their families as they have gone for months
without receiving food assistance.”

 

Fred Kafeero, the country representative of the UN’s Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), warned that the upcoming lean season may
worsen food insecurity among vulnerable households without access to
agricultural livelihood options.

 

According to the statement, the UN has released a combined
$18 million to kickstart the response to the food crisis in north-east Nigeria.

 

 

Source: $396 million needed to fight hunger in north east, says UN

 - NigerianEye
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