Read:Nigeria: Serious Health Situation in Borno State

Abuja, Jul 22 (Prensa Latina) The health situation in Borno State in northeast Nigeria is critical. At least 500,000 people in the last 24 months are either displaced or cut off of their homes living in enclaves outside the State capital of Maiduguri and are in urgent need of food, medical care, drinking water and shelter.

"Aid agencies must deploy a massive relief operation to respond to this health disaster," says Dr Isabelle Defourny, director of operations at Médecins Sans Frontiÿres (MSF).

Hundreds of thousands of people have been cut off from the outside world, some for as long as two years. They are mostly displaced people, living in towns now controlled by the military, and relying entirely on outside aid.

Assessments by United Nations agencies and the Nigerian authorities have shown how very serious the situation is and teams from SEMA (Borno State Emergency Management Agency), Red Cross and UNICEF have distributed food and provided medical and nutritional treatment at several locations.

In June, an MSF team observed extremely high levels of malnutrition and mortality in Bama, Borno Stateâ�Ös second-largest town.

Its inhabitants, estimated at over 10,000, live in a camp. While there are some food distributions and close to 1,500 people, the most vulnerable and sick, have been evacuated by the authorities, mortality rates are significantly higher than the emergency threshold and 15 per cent of children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Monguno, a town of 150,000 inhabitants, 65,000 of whom are displaced, has been without medical care since January 2015.

"A massive aid effort is vital to provide assistance to people who are cut off or in remote areas", continues Dr Defourny. "" MSF is conducting other exploratory missions when and where it can, as insecurity is a major issue. Bama and Dikwa and areas close to the frontline exposed to attack by Boko Haram can only be reached under army escort said regional director of UNICEF Manuel Fontaine.

Meanwhile, the displaced are continuing to seek refuge in Maiduguri. With such an influx of people, the townâ�Ös hospitals are overwhelmed and have to turn patients away.

There are amred conflicts,diseases and those do not discriminate on race,religion or ideology.

In recognition for its humanitarian effort MSF got the Nobel Prize in 1999.