The United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF) has released $28 million (about N5.6 billion) to support victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria. UN Humanitarian Chief, Ms Valerie Amos, said in a statement sent by APA on Friday that the fund was meant to serve as a life-saving relief for people fleeing the violence in that part of the country.

According to the statement, more than 1.2 million Nigerians have been forced to flee their homes as a result of Boko Haram-related violence.

The statement added that over 150,000 people have fled to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, thereby putting serious strain on some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

The insurgency in the northeast of Nigeria is having a devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

This allocation from CERF will be used to support people in the most vulnerable communities who have been directly affected by the violence it said.

The fund will cater for urgently needed relief including food, clean water, shelter, medicine, protection and security especially for women and children who are been exposed to violence.