Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said 3 million people are suffering from the Islamic uprising with a quarter million people made homeless in the northeast of the country just this year.

According to the Associated Press, the agency said an assessment of the three affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa shows children, elderly people and women are most affected.

The government agency has provided relief goods but says needs increase daily and asks for help.

A statement posted online Thursday, March 27, said the statistics apply only for January to March. The UN refugee agency estimates 470,000 people are displaced in the country and another 30,000 have sought refuge in neighboring countries since the uprising began four years ago.

Thousands have been killed and tens of thousands of farmers driven from their land.