Boko Haram Violence Causes Surge in Hunger and Displacement in Nigeria and Surrounding Areas (For the Media)

Increased fighting and insecurity in northeast Nigeria and the border region have led to a surge of refugees and internally displaced people in recent months. This is the largest recent displacement crisis in Africa. In response to rising food insecurity, malnutrition concerns and continued displacement in the Lake Chad Basin, WFP aims to scale up its assistance from 600,000 people assisted last year to nearly 750,000 people. WFP needs urgent support to continue to provide food and nutritional assistance to displaced and vulnerable host communities alike. WFP needs USD 123 million until the end of the year to respond to growing needs in the Lake Chad Basin. To date, only 17 percent of the required funding has been secured.