6m Nigerians, others face “severe hunger” in wake of Boko Haram

Up to six million people face threat of severe hunger in the Lake Chad Basin, a region covering Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, according to latest assessment by some 15 international groups working there. “What we are seeing is families teetering on the edge of famine,” said Yannick Pouchalan, director for Action Against Hunger in […]

Up to six million people face threat of severe hunger in the Lake Chad Basin, a region covering Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, according to latest assessment by some 15 international groups working there.

“What we are seeing is families teetering on the edge of famine,” said Yannick Pouchalan, director for Action Against Hunger in Nigeria, among the 15 organisations.

“If organisations can’t reach communities in areas trapped by the conflict, we will be looking at a far greater disaster than we are currently facing.

Among the 6 million people facing food insecurity in the region, more than 4 million of them are in Nigeria.

The 15 organisations will need more than $143 million till year end to provide food, water, shelter and safety, but say they are struggling to secure funding and expand their activities.

A revised appeal by the United Nations has called for $559 million to meet emergency needs in the northeast and Lake Chad Basin until year end.

More than 65,000 people are already living in famine in pockets of the north east and more than a million people are considered “one step away famine.”

Begging for food

“Many of those arriving in camps are already severely malnourished. We see families who have not eaten for days, many are begging for food. If the situation continues to deteriorate many more people may die.”

The appeal came as the UN General Assembly gathered world leaders to discuss the plight of refugees and migrants.

The plight of 2.6 million people who have fled their homes but remain within their countries will be left out of the discussions, experts worry.

Up to half of all children aged less than five face malnutrition in some areas of Borno, and compares to the 2011 crisis in Somalia, according to the groups.

They blame the conflict and counter military operations that have put farmlands, rivers, lakes at risk, closed off markets and crippled transport and livelihoods.

Civilians pay high risk

“Civilians have paid a high price for policies of cutting off Boko Haram’s food and supplies,” said Lisa Bay, lead for the charity Oxfam operations in the Lake Chad Basin.

“People should be able to fish, farm and sell their goods at markets.We have seen hugely generous communities welcome people who have fled their homes – but now they have nothing to give. They too are hungry and need access to aid.”

International aid has received slightly more than $53 million dollars, leaving a funding gap of nearly $90 million, according to Sarah Ndikumana, Nigeria director for International Rescue Committee.

“Without money we simply can’t reach the people who need it the most with aid. The situation is critical with many lives hanging in the balance,” said Ndikumana.

“We urge donors to dig deep to stop this crisis turning into a huge catastrophe. We cannot stand-by and watch thousands of people suffer and die when we can do something about it.”

Jennifer Poidatz, vice president of humanitarian response department at Catholic Relief Services, said, "We need to learn from other protracted crises in the world, where short-term solutions simply don’t allow people who have fled from their homes to go back to their lives.”

“Only robust funding over multiple years, of both international organisations and local and national organisations on the ground, will ensure that we can adequately respond. We also need political leadership and action to address the root causes of the violence.”

The rest of the 15 organisations include

• Action Aid
• Christian Aid
• Cooperazione International (COOPI)
• Danish Refugee Council
• International Medical Corps
• Intersos
• Mercy Corps
• Norweigan Refugee Council (NRC)
• Plan International
• Premiere Urgence International
• Save The Children