Millions in Nigeria’s North east risk death from starvation if financial support to donor agencies is not forth coming.
Close to 5 million people are in dire need of emergency food assistance but aid shortfall means only 1.3 million, categorized as extremely vulnerable can access aid.
“One challenge for us very painful process we are going through now is to prioritize who gets the assistance, we have to make sure that those who are more vulnerable, the most vulnerable continues to receive assistance and therefore we continue to target the most vulnerable among the communities that we would require. Now all these means that if we want to go further we might have to also cut rations for some of the food that we give” Said Ronald Sibanda, WFP Country Director
The World Food Program says it needs over $447 million to sustain its operations in the country for 6 months- but it has only been able to secure only 18% of that appeal.
The United Nations has warned of mass starvation if adequate aid is not provided for regions listed to be facing extreme food insecurity.
So far, it has managed to stretch this far by restricting aid to extremely vulnerable persons and and that is the real source of worry- further cuts could put thousands of lives in jeopardy”
Boko Haram fought hard to establish an Islamic caliphate in the country’s northeast since 2009. The conflict has left thousands dead and one of the worst humanitarian crisis in Africa.
The military have recorded success in beating them back but their ability to launch attacks has kept the north east insecure.
