It’s a tale of starvation, malnutrition and fading hope in northern Nigeria as internally displaced persons affected by the insurgent activities of Boko Haram, face increasing hardships even as the festive season draws closer.The United Nations has released a report stating that an estimated 400,000 children are at risk from a famine in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe; 75,000 of whom could die from hunger in the coming months.

The report comes ahead of an appeal by Nigeria as part of the UN’s global Humanitarian Response Plan, which is due to be announced in Abuja on Friday.

It is estimated that $1.2 billion is needed to deal with the humanitarian situation.

The ongoing insurgency in north east Nigeria is one that has a documented history of intensified fighting between insurgents and the Nigerian government. The resultant violence has forced thousands of children to flee, searching for safety.Most of these children arrive internally displaced (IDP) camps either as orphans or with their parents, with stories and scars of the horrors experienced in a battle that has been going on for over seven years.

Despite the success recorded by the military in reclaiming lost areas and opening up accessibility, the scale of the need for immediate humanitarian attention might not have been effectively captured, as children’s lives and inevitably their futures are being compromised by increased poverty, health risks and limited access to education.

The Nigerian authorities have been accused of negligence and concealing the scale of the problem. However, authorities have stated that they are working hard to meet to desperate need of the people and have started investigations into how tons of food aid has disappeared from many of the internally displaced camps (IDPs) in the north east.

In the later part of the year 2016, reports were in the dailies on the diversion of food and relief materials for IDPs by security agencies; at the peak of the controversy, a governor of one of the affected states was said to have ordered the sale of bags of rice in order to buy diesel.

Despite the slow economic growth in Nigeria, the festive season is a family event, celebrated in gestures, both large and small, this report clearly shows that immediate efforts need to be set in motion to ensure that hope is not lost in a region that has left its children scarred and in desperate need of assistance.