The United Nations (UN) has allocated 20 million dollars to urgently ramp up the response to the alarming food security and nutrition crisis in the north-east of Nigeria.


UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq disclosed this at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.


According to humanitarian partners, almost 700,000 children under five are likely to suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition this year in this region and more than half a million people may face emergency levels of food insecurity during the lean season from June to August.


Haq said that the emergency funding would help jumpstart the response, but humanitarian partners need more to prevent widespread hunger and malnutrition.