Mr. Matthias Schmale who is the United Nations‘ chief humanitarian representative in Nigeria has revealed that approximately 4.3 million individuals residing in the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe are being severely affected by hunger.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Wednesday, Schmale revealed that the population of children under the age of five facing the grave danger of severe acute malnutrition has doubled within a year, now totaling 700,000.
While describing the situation in Borno state, 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.’
‘Those of us who are parents must imagine what it’s like when you cannot ensure your children have enough to eat,’ he added.
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As per his assessment, the prevailing situation which he described as ‘catastrophic,’ majorly attributed to over a decade of insecurity caused by non-State armed groups. This ongoing insecurity hampers farming activities and deprives people of their livelihood from the land.
Additionally, climate change and the adverse consequences of extreme weather conditions worsen the detrimental circumstances further. This has increased the burden of the affected persons.
In the preceding year, Nigeria experienced its most severe flooding in a decade, impacting not only the north-east region but the entire country. The catastrophic floods disrupted the lives of over 4.4 million individuals nationwide.
The aftermath of the floods has been further aggravated by the steep escalation in prices of essential commodities such as food, fuel, and fertilizers. This surge in costs has intensified the crisis, adding to the hardships faced by the affected population.
The United Nations official said that the region requires about $1.3 billion in humanitarian funding to address the pressing needs. However, the unfortunate reality is that only a mere 25 percent of this required amount has been secured thus far.