Nigeria: Reactions As UN Agency Warns Hunger Has Hit Worst Levels in Northern Nigeria

Nigeria faces its worst hunger levels in nearly a decade, the UN World Food Programme warned, citing worsening insecurity and reduced funding across northern states. The WFP said at least 17 million people in nine conflict-hit states are facing severe hunger, with the number of people in crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels rising by nearly 2 million from previous projections. Violence is spreading further, forcing displacement and keeping farmers away from their fields, while restrictions also limit humanitarian access. The warning comes during the lean season, when households typically exhaust food stocks before the next harvest.

The report highlights Borno State as a central hotspot, with more than 3 million people acutely food insecure, including over 750,000 facing severe conditions. The WFP said it could support fewer than half of the 1.3 million people it assisted last year in three northeast states, where 6.2 million are food-insecure. It added it needs $89 million over the next six months for food, nutrition, and logistics support. In response, CISLAC said the scale of hunger reflects governance failures and persistent structural drivers of poverty and insecurity.