Photo by Unknown CDC employee
People are returning to their homes in northern Nigeria after Boko Haram raided in 2014. One of the farmers hid under maize crops with the rest of his family.
Per CNN, “Jafiya Nuhu, a 52-year-old commercial farmer, hid under maize cobs in his farm with his wife and two children as the insurgents raided their neighbors, looting and torching houses.”
With the Boko Haram alone, 20,000 were killed and 2 million displaced.
The Guardian reports, “The conflict provoked by the group has led to the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. Of those displaced, nearly 80% live in host communities – those who were already living in poverty before they opened their doors to those fleeing violence.”
After those who survived Boko Haram’s attacks returned, a famine began. 44,000 are close to starvation.
Bloomberg explains, “While aid agencies estimate that as many as 1.4 million people are facing an emergency and 44,000 are close to starvation, they’ve raised only a fifth of the $1.05 billion needed for the operation to provide assistance this year. Nigeria is one of four countries pushed to the brink of famine by conflict this year, alongside South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, according to the UN.” Many who try to farm are unable to, because Boko Haram comes and chases them away before they can fully harvest it.
CNN states, “Many other farmers from the settlement have similar tales to Nuhu’s — unable to farm and earn a livelihood since the aftermath of the September 2014 capture of their community by the insurgents.”
There are 8.5 million people facing starvation in Nigeria. More than half of those are children.
The Guardian explains, “More than half of the estimated 8.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Nigeria are children, but when it comes to raising humanitarian funding, a photo of one actually starving child can be worth more than 8.5 million children at risk of starvation.”
Usually Nigeria would have been able to help its citizens, but the economy slumped to its lowest in 25 years.
Bloomberg reports, “Nigeria would ordinarily have been able to afford the $274 million the WFP says it needs to feed people until October, but last year its economy contracted for the first time in 25 years because of a slump in the price of oil, its main export. Both the Nigerian government and the UN acknowledge their response was initially slow.”
Open Doors is doing a campaign to help 3,000 Nigerian families who are starving by July 31. One woman who is starving received bags of rice and beans.
Open Doors states, “In the city center, crowds of men and women stirred. Efe heard songs of praise and rejoicing. Even shouts of thanks erupted sporadically. Her pastor led her to a wagon loaded with an enormous bag of rice, an enormous bag of beans and many more supplies and resources.”
Please pray that many Nigerians would be able to get food and come to see Christ’s hope.
CNN: They survived Boko Haram, now returnees are fighting hunger
The Guardian: Nigeria’s food crisis: by the time famine is declared, it’s too late
Bloomberg: Famine Stalks Nigeria’s Northeast as Aid Agencies Seek Funds
Open Doors: FIGHT THE FAMINE WITH FOOD SURVIVAL KITS
