Over 1.4 million children likely to die of hunger in 2017

The United Nations Children Agency, UNICEF says about 1.4 million children in Africa suffering from severe malnutrition could die in 2017.
According to the UN report, most of the countries likely to be affected by the famine include; Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
UNICEF director, Anthony Lake appealed for quick action to stop the famine.
“We can still save many lives,” he said.
Another agency, Fews Net, the Famine Early Warning System, in January issued a similar warning to some African countries threatened by famine.
Insurgency ravaged Northeast Nigeria is said to have over 450,000 malnourished children who might die of hunger this year.
Also in Yemen, where a war has been raging for nearly two years, 462,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition and are threatened by death.
Meanwhile, drought in Somalia has left 185,000 children on the brink of famine but that figure is expected to reach 270,000 in the next few months, said UNICEF.
In South Sudan, over 270,000 children are malnourished and a famine has just been declared in parts of Unity State in the north of the country, where 20,000 children live.
UN Security Council ambassadors are due to travel to northern Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger next month to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the conflict with Boko Haram militants.