The United Nations (UN) says severe hunger is affecting 4.3 million people in Nigeria’s North-East.

The UN’s top humanitarian official in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, who made this known while speaking with journalists in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, June 28, said the number of children under five at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition had doubled in one year to reach 700,000.

He listed the most affected states to include Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states

Describing the situation in the North-East, Schmale said: “I have been to Borno and the other two states several times.

“I’ve seen mothers fighting for lives of their malnourished children in nutrition stabilisation centres.

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“Those of us who are parents must imagine what it’s like when you cannot ensure your children have enough to eat.”

According to him, the “catastrophic” situation is primarily the result of more than a decade of insecurity linked to non-State armed groups, which prevents people from farming and earning income from the land.

He added that another harmful factor is climate change and extreme weather impacts.

Last year saw the worst floods in 10 years in Nigeria, which affected more than 4.4 million people across the country.

Soaring prices of food, fuel, and fertilisers have exacerbated the crisis, and the response remains severely underfunded.

The UN official added that out of the $1.3 billion in humanitarian funding needed for the region, only 25 per cent has been secured so far.

The Star