ABUJA, Nigeria — The United Nations World Food Programme warned that Nigeria’s hunger emergency is accelerating, with conflict and shrinking aid pushing more families into life-threatening food insecurity across the north.
The recently completed Cadre Harmonisé analysis shows that more than
17 million people across nine conflict-affected states in northern
Nigeria are experiencing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of
hunger. This is an increase of almost two million since the last
projections.
In Borno state, where insurgent attacks have become
increasingly frequent and food assistance has been cut, the analysis
shows more than three million people are acutely food insecure. Of
these, more than 750,000 people are in severe hunger conditions and over
10,000 people are facing catastrophic hunger. While those in
catastrophic hunger represent a small share of Borno’s overall food
insecure population, it provides a stark warning that conflict,
displacement and shrinking humanitarian assistance are pushing the
crisis into more dangerous territory.
“What
concerns us most is how this crisis is expanding,” said Kinday Samba,
WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “For years, insurgent
attacks and violence were largely concentrated in parts of northeast
Nigeria. Today, they are spreading across a much wider area and forcing
people from farmland, driving displacement and restricting humanitarian
access, meaning hunger is quick to follow.”
The humanitarian and
food security situation has been compounded by ongoing access issues and
extreme funding shortfalls that are making it increasingly difficult
for WFP to reach vulnerable populations.
The number of
inaccessible locations has doubled: a further 15 areas are now
considered partially inaccessible for WFP’s frontline staff. Cargo
movements along major routes are increasingly disrupted by attacks and
illegal checkpoints, impacting how efficiently WFP can move humanitarian
supplies. In many locations, WFP’s airlift services could remain the
only source of transportation.
Meanwhile, funding shortfalls mean
that humanitarian assistance is shrinking. While the number of people
food insecure in three northeast states has increased to 6.2 million,
WFP is only able to support 740,000 of those, leaving 5.5 million people
– particularly children – without lifesaving food and nutrition
assistance. This is a significant drop from the 1.3 million people WFP
was able to support at the height of the 2025 lean season.
WFP is
deeply concerned that the suspension of food assistance is driving
people towards desperate coping strategies. Communities have reported
cases of individuals joining armed groups in search of food or income,
underlining the risks created when hunger deepens and people run out of
options
The suspension of food assistance in some camps due to the
funding shortfalls has triggered a deeply alarming escalation in
exploitation and gender-based harm that is particularly impacting women
and children.
“When people lose access to food, the risks of
displacement, exploitation and instability increase. Yet resources are
at their lowest at the time they are needed most,” said Samba.
WFP
requires USD 89 million over the next six months to continue food and
nutrition assistance, and essential logistics support across northern
Nigeria before hunger deepens further, more people are displaced and
instability spreads across the region.
Note to editors:
This
Cadre Harmonisé provides an update on specific hotspot locations in
northern Nigeria, particularly in camps for displaced people and host
communities in conflict-affected areas in response to an escalation of
attacks since the November Cadre Harmonise was released. Overall, the
number of people food insecure across the country has increased to 36.2
million.
– READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE –
