The United Nations Thursday launched an appeal for $174 million in what it called life-saving aid‌ for nearly 200,000 Nigerians who have fled attacks by Boko Haram.

Displaced people in northeastern Nigeria and across borders are in a very dramatic situation, Liz Ahua, West Africa representative for the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), said at the launch in Dakar. They continue to fear for their lives, and are at this point unable to return to their homes.
‌
According to the UNHCR, roughly 192,000 people have fled over Nigeria's borders into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger seeking refuge from relentless violence. A further 1.2 million have been displaced within Nigeria as a result of the bloodshed.

Adequate funding is crucial to make sure aid agencies can improve living conditions for refugees in asylum countries and respond to their protection need. We need to continue to relocate refugees away from the conflict border areas, and establish additional refugee camps where needed, Ahua said.