THE United Nations has raised the alarm that no fewer than 5,000 children in war-ravaged northeastern Nigeria will die of starvation in the next two months unless the world raises the necessary funds for intervention.
A report on Friday by Reuters quoted John Mukisa, a nutrition sector coordinator for UN agencies, as giving the warning while speaking with the press.
“Up to 5,000 children in Nigeria’s North-East are at risk of dying in the next two months if funding does not come through,” said Mukisa.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the report said, needs $1 billion (N700 billion) this year to assist 5.5 million people, including women and children, with food aid in the three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
The OCHA, according to the report, said it had raised only 42 per cent of the required funds eight months into the year, quoting a briefing to reporters.
It added that some international donors have shifted funding elsewhere, including Ukraine, Ethiopia and Afghanistan, which are also facing increased humanitarian needs.
Farming sustains livelihoods in the North-East, but insecurity, the rising cost of fertiliser and diesel, as well as flooding and drought due to changing climate, have combined into a powerful force that is upending lives.
The Federal Government has repeatedly said that it is winning the fight against insurgents in the NorthEast and that some areas have now been cleared of militants and are safe for villagers to return and farm.
