UN: Humanitarian crisis triggered by Boko Haram is worsening

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. humanitarian chief says the humanitarian crisis triggered by Boko Haram's "violent and inhuman campaign" is worsening, with 10.7 million people in need of aid in northeast Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Stephen O'Brien told the U.N. Security Council Thursday that although Boko Haram has lost much of the territory it once controlled as a result of military campaigns, its raids and suicide bombings targeting civilians are still causing widespread death and destruction.

Over the past 12 months, he said, the crisis has grown "in dramatic fashion."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft urged the council to visit the region in the coming weeks to shine a spotlight on the depth of the crisis, saying it's not only humanitarian but also about politics, development and "countering terrorism."