The United Nations (UN) on Thursday launched an appeal for $1.3 billion to help six million people severely affected by the 13-year armed conflict, disease, and disaster in the northeastern part of Nigeria, reported Reuters.
Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria said the large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis in Nigeria is showing no sign of improvement.
He said an estimated 2.4 million people affected by conflict, disaster, and disease are in urgent need of assistance and require urgent support.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition in Nigeria’s northeast is projected to increase to two million in 2023, up from 1.74 million last year.
Already high levels of severe acute malnutrition are projected to more than double from 2022 to a projected 697,000 this year.
Mr. Schmale said women and girls are the hardest hit. The UN official added that over 80 percent of people in need of humanitarian assistance across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are women and children, who face increased risks of violence, abduction, rape, and abuse.
The OCHA said without urgent action, 4,000 people in Bama, Borno state, are expected to face such catastrophic conditions as starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels become prevalent.
In related news, on Thursday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval to the central bank to extend the deadline to exchange old banknotes by 60 days until Monday, April 10.
Nigeria’s central bank started the circulation of newly designed 200, 500, and 1,000 naira notes last year. The deadline for the Nigerians to exchange the old notes was already extended once to Feb. 10.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will hold presidential and federal legislative elections on 25 February. The UN office in Nigeria has pointed out a number of issues to be addressed in the build-up to the general elections.
