LINE

    Text:AAAPrint
    Politics

    Aid for Nigeria: Hungry children at risk as militants' insurgency renews

    1
    2017-05-18 14:40CGTN Editor: Liang Meichen ECNS App Download
    A staff member in a children's clinic in Dalori IDP camp weighs Bala Umar. (CGTN Photo)

    A staff member in a children's clinic in Dalori IDP camp weighs Bala Umar. (CGTN Photo)

    The return of Boko Haram poses a serious threat to the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria's northeastern regions, which is already at alarming levels. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has already warned that close to half a million children could die of malnutrition before the end of the year.

    Urgent humanitarian assistance is needed. However, with a possible renewed insurgency, getting aid in will be even more difficult.

    Bala Umar is the latest child to be brought to a children's clinic in Dalori IDP camp near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

    He is having difficulty breathing and suffering from diarrhea, but medical tests have shown that he is actually suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

    At only nine months old, his arms are very thin and he weighs below six kilograms. A healthy boy of his age should weigh between seven to 10 kilograms. Immediately, he is enrolled into a food and nutrition program to stabilise him.

    "They've given me some food supplements that would make him get better and I will try hard to ensure he is better cared for," said his mother.

    "Truly it's not easy. I need to make sure he's better fed. I have no source of income, just what I get here in camp to sustain me."

    UNICEF and partner organisations say hundreds of thousands of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, but new cases keep emerging.

    A recent UNICEF survey noted that some 2.5 million children in Northeast Nigeria are facing starvation and 450,000 of them could die if more aid is not made available.

    Harriet Dwyer, spokesperson for UNICEF, said that "the situation here in the Northeast is still dire, the security situation is of extreme concern for organisations like UNICEF, this year we are projecting up to 450,000 children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition if they don't receive lifesaving care."

    The full extent of the humanitarian crisis caused by years of Boko Haram insurgency is still difficult to tell. Although the military insists that Boko Haram controls no territory in the Northeast, however vast parts of the region remains inaccessible to aid workers.

    In some of those hard to reach areas, the UN says the humanitarian conditions could be even worse.

      

    Related news

    MorePhoto

    Most popular in 24h

    MoreTop news

    MoreVideo

    News
    Politics
    Business
    Society
    Culture
    Military
    Sci-tech
    Entertainment
    Sports
    Odd
    Features
    Biz
    Economy
    Travel
    Travel News
    Travel Types
    Events
    Food
    Hotel
    Bar & Club
    Architecture
    Gallery
    Photo
    CNS Photo
    Video
    Video
    Learning Chinese
    Learn About China
    Social Chinese
    Business Chinese
    Buzz Words
    Bilingual
    Resources
    ECNS Wire
    Special Coverage
    Infographics
    Voices
    LINE
    Back to top Links | About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
    Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
    Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
    主站蜘蛛池模板: 延庆县| 满洲里市| 天全县| 抚顺县| 宁明县| 昭觉县| 灌云县| 临沧市| 辉南县| 吉木乃县| 晋中市| 蒙阴县| 贵州省| 巨鹿县| 峡江县| 芜湖市| 潢川县| 浙江省| 普安县| 城口县| 永城市| 黄山市| 融水| 麻栗坡县| 钟山县| 利津县| 巴彦淖尔市| 中牟县| 乐业县| 广灵县| 钦州市| 冀州市| 邻水| 宝山区| 腾冲县| 贺兰县| 泰宁县| 武隆县| 六盘水市| 北辰区| 肥乡县|