Boko Haram: Britain to Give Nigeria Extra £80m to Save 70,000 Starving Children
ABOVE PHOTO: Girls rescued by Nigerian soldiers from Islamist militants Boko Haram at Sambisa Forest line up to collect donated clothes at the Malkohi refugee camp in YolaGirls rescued by Nigerian soldiers from Boko Haram
LAGOS SEPTEMBER 25TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Britain is to give an extra £80million in aid to Nigeria to stop nearly 70,000 children starving to death.
The aid operation comes as Islamic State allies Boko Haram battle government forces in the African nation.
The extra money will provide food, shelter and healthcare.
International Development minister James Wharton said: “I recently visited Nigeria and saw the devastating effects of Boko Haram. Millions of people face extreme hunger. The UK is working alongside the Nigerian government and military to tackle Boko Haram.”
Britain has already given ¬£40million, plus £25million to other affected countries – Niger, Chad, and North Cameroon.
The money will help the International Red Cross , the World Food Programme and the UN provide more relief.
Last week Prime Minister Theresa May told the UN she would pledge an extra £1.5billion in aid to ease the global refugee crisis .
In north-east Nigeria, thousands of families have had their homes burned down in fighting between the army and the terrorists.
Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau was reported to have been killed in an airstrike this month, although his death has not been confirmed.
His group still holds all but one of 200 girls it kidnapped two years ago . The Nigerian government has offered to swap prisoners for them.
