United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says it will soon cut food rations in the North-east Nigeria due to funding.
This is coming at a time when severe hunger reached a five-year high in the country, according to WFP.
WFP West Africa Regional Director, Chris Nikoi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
North east have been plagued by Boko Haram insurgency since past 12 years, which has caused serious humanitarian crisis.
Nikoi said said as at September there are over two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) September in the region, hence ration cuts need to be implemented unless urgent funding is secured.
Nikoi said if at least $55 million is not received in the coming weeks, WFP would be left with no choice but to cut food rations.
“Cutting rations means choosing who gets to eat and who goes to bed hungry. We are seeing funding for our life-saving humanitarian work dry up just at the time when hunger is at its most severe,” he said.
“Our food assistance is a lifeline for millions whose lives have been upended by conflict and have almost nothing to survive on. We must act now to save lives and avoid disruptions to this lifeline.”
He said current food security analysis shows that 4.4 million people in the north-east do not know where their next meal would come from, and over 1 million children are already malnourished.
Nikoi said continues conflict has worsen humanitarian crisis in the region, adding that despite increasing needs, very soon the WFP would not be able to sustain life-saving operations in the region.
