Nigeria famine puts lives of 75,000 children at risk, says UN
Millions of people are struggling to cope after Boko Haram laid waste to the north east of the country
Nigeria is facing a humanitarian crisis as it struggles to cope with the fallout from Boko Haram's jihadist insurgency, according to the United Nations, which predicts that 14 million people will need aid in 2017.
Of that number, 400,000 children are in critical need of assistance, while 75,000 could die in the "few months ahead of us", UN humanitarian co-ordinator Peter Lundberg told a press conference in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Tuesday.
But the UN has not declared a "level three emergency", the classification for the most severe crisis, despite a warning of "famine-like conditions" from the World Food Programme.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The humanitarian response hasn't scaled up adequately to meet a growing demand for food," says analyst Roddy Barclay in The Guardian. Ryan Cummings, of intelligence firm Signal Risk, agrees. "The scale of the humanitarian disaster in north-east Nigeria has been grossly underestimated," he warns.
Islamic fundamentalists from Boko Haram have laid waste to the north east of the country, around Borno state, since taking up arms against the federal government in 2009. BBC News says that tens of thousands have died and more than two million have been displaced, with major disruptions to farming and trade.
But a new report suggests the formation of a regional force to combat Boko Haram, with troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin, is gaining ground against the militants.
The New York Times refers to a study by the International Crisis Group which says the jihadists - who controlled an area the size of Belgium in north east Nigeria last year - have since suffered a string of defeats.
"We've seen a dizzying downwards spiral in the number of attacks and suicide bombings," said Hans De Marie Heungoup, one of the report's authors. But those left behind have been suffering without water, food and sanitation.
Infographic by www.statista.com for TheWeek.co.uk.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Criminal trail?'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Grindr 'shared user HIV status' with ad firms, lawsuit claims
Speed Read LGBTQ dating app accused of breaching UK data protection laws in case filed at London's High Court
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The best dog-friendly hotels around the UK
The Week Recommends Take a break with your four-legged friend in accommodation that offers you both a warm welcome
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published