The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that children in the Horn of Africa and Sahel regions could face serious challenges in devastating numbers if urgent support will not be provided.<br />''<br />''The UNICEF said drought and conflict in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria were driving up water insecurity, resulting in 40 million children facing high to extremely high levels of water vulnerability.<br />''<br />''According to the UN agency, about 2.8 million children in the Horn of Africa and Sahel regions are already suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Around two-thirds of children affected are under the age of 5 years.<br />''<br />''The organization also said that as natural water sources dried up, the knock-on effect was significant increases in the price of water. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization said that climate change and extreme weather events have increased natural disasters over the past 50 years<br />