More than 20 million children are on the verge of starvation in the worst humanitarian crisis in decades, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Tuesday, appealing for $255 million to respond to immediate needs in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. "Time is running out," UNICEF said, noting the threats from famine, drought, and war. About 22 million children are hungry, sick, displaced, and out of school in the four countries, according to UNICEF. Almost 1.4 million are at imminent risk of death this year from severe malnutrition. "We learned from Somalia in 2011 that by the time famine was announced, untold numbers of children had already died. That can't happen again," said UNICEF emergency-programs director Manuel Fontaine. "Children can't wait for yet another famine declaration before we take action." Famine was declared a month ago in South Sudan, and likely will be declared soon for northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, where fighting has pushed farmers off their land and droughts have destroyed their animals and what is left of crops. The $255 million request for nutrition programs and health services is part of a broader appeal for all of 2017 totaling $712 million, up 50 percent from what was requested for the same four countries at the same time last year.
