The United Nations (UN) has announced on Tuesday, that more than 2.4 million people need urgent food aid across the central Sahel region, encompassing Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where rising jihadist violence has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson Herve Verhoosel, said if they do not act now to tackle hunger, a whole generation in the region is at risk.

He said some 20 million people were living in conflict-affected areas across the region, nit by violent clashes involving a range of armed groups.

More than 860 000 people across the region have become internally displaced, while the three countries are also hosting 270 000 refugees.

Verhoosel said Burkina Faso has been particularly hard-hit by the crisis, due to a sharp increase in violence, pointing out that there were more attacks in the country, during the first half of this year than during all of 2018.