The United Nations (UN) requires about $1.1 billion to implement the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 4.1 million people in the North East.

According to the UN, the fund will be needed to address the humanitarian needs of people affected by the 13-year conflict in the region.

UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said at a news conference in New York, on Tuesday, that only 37 per cent of the $1.1 billion was funded.

She warned: “Our humanitarian colleagues in the field warn that without immediate funding, the situation could deteriorate sharply over the coming weeks.

“They are telling us that the number of severe acute malnutrition cases being admitted to treatment facilities has risen by over 30 per cent compared to the same period – January to July – in 2021.”

She added that with the lean season underway, up to 4.1 million people were projected to face acute food shortages in the region, warning that the malnutrition situation was quickly deteriorating.

Besides, she noted that some 8.4 million people in the North East states need humanitarian aid in 2022.

“In the first quarter of 2022, the UN, along with its partners, had reached 1.8 million people with assistance in the North East,” she said.

According to her, no less than 1.3 million people received water, sanitation and hygiene assistance and nearly 50,000 benefited from services to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV).