Yemi Obafemi
The United Nations humanitarian official in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, said severe hunger was affecting 4.3 million people in the country’s North-East states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
He made this statement while speaking with newsmen in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday, according to him, the number of children under five at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition had doubled in one year to reach 700,000.
“I have been to Borno and the other two states several times.
“I have seen mothers fighting for the lives of their malnourished children in nutrition stabilization centres.
“Those of us who are parents must imagine what it’s like when you cannot ensure your children have enough to eat.
He said the problems that farmers are facing is due to lack of security which prevents them from farming and earning income from the land.
Another harmful factor is climate change and extreme weather impacts.
Nigeria witnessed its worst floods in 10 years in 2022 with more than 4.4 million people across the country, including the North-East, affected.
According to him, high prices of food, fuel, and fertilisers have increased the crisis, and the response remains severely underfunded.
The UN official said that out of the $1.3 billion in humanitarian funding needed for the region, only 25 percent had been secured so far.
