The United Nations, Chad, Niger and Cameroon appealed on Friday for help for millions of people in the Lake Chad Basin region forced to flee the violence of Boko Haram and hit with repeated droughts and floods that have brought malnutrition and disease.

But while the radical Islamist militants operate out of Nigeria and U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien said that is where most people have been displaced by their attacks, Nigeria did not send anyone to the United Nations event.

U.S. and European Union diplomats said they were disappointed that Nigeria did not attend the event chaired by O'Brien on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Nigerian U.N. mission was not immediately available to comment on its absence.

A regional offensive by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon earlier this year drove Boko Haram from much of the territory it held in northern Nigeria. But the militants have since struck back with a renewed wave of deadly raids and suicide bombings.

"These (displaced) families are being used as ammunition because it is the children that are used as bombers in markets and in train stations," said Chad's Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat. "Trade is virtually wiped out in this area."

Several U.N. diplomats at the event warned that the aid emergency in Lake Chad Basin risked being forgotten amid other humanitarian crises in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan.

Niger Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said the region was in the midst of a "genuine disaster."

"We need massive assistance from the international community," he said. "It is the population that has shared with these refugees and displaced people the little they have while they themselves are living in extremely vulnerable situations."

The United Nations said some 2.3 million people have been forced from their homes since May 2013, and a quarter of a million of them have fled from Nigeria into Cameroon, Chad and Niger, many walking hundreds of miles.

"Droughts and floods hit the region repeatedly. Malnutrition and disease outbreaks hover at emergency levels. Some 5.5 million people do not have enough to eat," O'Brien said. "The emergence of Boko Haram has pushed them over the edge."

O'Brien said U.N. appeals for 2015 to help those displaced people and refugees in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger were all less than half-funded.

The United States on Friday announced $6.8 million (£4.48 million) in funding for regional aid efforts.

ojun50:
Op don't worry the money is safe

DaBullIT:
Yeah

I forsee that Some people will blame Buhari


Oh wait , one goat already did

DaBullIT:
Yeah

I forsee that Some people will blame Buhari
Oh wait , one goat already did

DaBullIT:
Yeah
I forsee that Some people will blame Buhari

Oh wait , one goat already did

tafrica:


You are the sycophantic goat. Tell me what the man said that was out of the line. He said Nigeria should have sent delegates if Chad, Niger and Cameroon could do that. Has he said much or even mentioned your god "buhari"? even if he did, is he not the leader of the delegates, were they sleeping when this session was held or busy taking pictures?

Flets:


Now who should be blamed? Or you want to take the blame for him?

Buhari failed to send a delegation to a course that should be spearheaded by him. Rather he prefers to discuss AIDS and its effect on the main forum.

From every indication, Buhari's fight against terror is only in words. His actions and results has not shown a man interested in eradicating bokoharam.

OboloMAN:


Lame comment, We should blame GEJ I guess?

DaBullIT:
Whatevs , I can't shout, but a reasonable fella knows there are / should be people , offices and government agents whose duty is stuffs like this , Buhari's travels is not for tourism, a man can't be in two places, there's why you have VPs and assistants

DaBullIT:
So in your mind now , you must blame someone ?

DaBullIT:
Whatevs , I can't shout, but a reasonable fella knows there are / should be people , offices and government agents whose duty is stuffs like this , Buhari's travels is not for tourism, a man can't be in two places, there's why you have VPs and assistants

DaBullIT:
In your mind now , Buhari should do every little thing that shows up, don't we have other people who could have gone ? So lame ish

chedet:


I thought GMB only appoint "competent" people, so who among those "competent" people forgot about the meeting? Should we expect heads to roll?

OboloMAN:


Of course yes, Someone must accept responsibility.

Abeg Ishilove, lalasticlala Who Should we blame for this negligence.

DaBullIT:
Whatevs , I can't shout, but a reasonable fella knows there are / should be people , offices and government agents whose duty is stuffs like this , Buhari's travels is not for tourism, a man can't be in two places, there's why you have VPs and assistants