Nigeria, Haiti, Libya-Tunisia.

Today's three stories you should know.

Nigeria

The Nigerian government has declared a state of emergency over food insecurity as shortages and spiralling prices bite. Measures introduced include using money saved from the recent removal of a fuel subsidy to buy fertiliser and grain for farmers. The poorest households will also be given $10 a month for six months. A UN report in January found that 25 million Nigerians were at risk of food insecurity - defined as being unable to afford nutritious food every day. "I assure all Nigerians that no-one will be left behind in these strategic interventions," President Bola Tinubu said.

More from BBC here.

Haiti

The UN Security Council has given Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 30 days to come up with a list of options for tackling Haiti’s gang violence crisis. Among the most extreme possibilities on the table are the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force or a non-UN multinational force to help the Haitian police grapple with the criminals. The gangs, who grew in power after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, now control about 80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince.

More from AP here.

Libya-Tunisia

Horrifying. The UN children’s agency (UNICEF) said today that at least 289 children have drowned in the central Mediterranean so far this year while trying to reach Europe, and that the true figure was likely much higher. The central Mediterranean route, which sees people set sail from Libya and Tunisia, is used by people from several African and Middle Eastern countries fleeing war and poverty. UNICEF said the figure was twice the number who drowned in the first six months of 2022 and that the deaths were preventable, accusing governments of ignoring the issue.

More from The Irish Times here.