Northeastern Nigeria is teetering on the brink of famine. Each day, 184 children die due to causes related to acute malnutrition, but the government and international community are failing to acknowledge the scale of the emergency, says the International Rescue Committee. The aid organization is demanding that this “chronically underfunded crisis” receives the attention it deserves “before it is too late.”
More than one million people are in food security Emergency (IPC Phase 4), with the possibility of Famine (IPC Phase 5) conditions in particularly affected areas. According to the UN's aid coordination body, OCHA, 65,000 people are already in Phase 5 in Borno and Yobe States. Additionally, 3.3 million are in Phase 3 (Crisis) and at high risk if not reached soon. “These numbers are likely a very conservative estimate of the reality on the ground, as more areas open up and we gain access to areas previously controlled by Boko Haram,” warns Sarah Ndikumana, IRC Nigeria country director.
No comments:
Post a Comment