Famine possible in parts of Boko Haram-hit Nigeria: expertsLAGOS, Nigeria--Some parts of northeast Nigeria that have been devastated by seven years of violence from the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency could be suffering from famine, according to experts monitoring the situation. FEWS NET, which is funded by USAID, also pinpointed Bama and Banki as "areas of concern," and near the Sambisa Forest, where Nigerian troops have been conducting operations against Boko Haram since late April. More than 2.6 million people have been made homeless, two million of them within Nigeria, fleeing to makeshift camps or being taken in by friends, families or distant relatives. Aid agencies have been increasingly warning about the dire humanitarian situation in Borno, which has borne the brunt of fighting between Boko Haram insurgents and government forces that has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009. The U.S.-based Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said in a briefing note on its website Thursday that more than three million people in the region were in need of urgent assistance.

Source: The China Post July 09, 2016 18:00 UTC