The hunger crisis across northern Nigeria is worsening rapidly, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned, citing escalating conflict and severe funding shortages.
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said it requires $89 million over the next six months to sustain food, nutrition and logistics support in northern Nigeria, warning that without urgent funding, millions more people risk falling deeper into crisis.
WFP said the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis shows more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are now facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity, about two million more than in the previous assessment.
The situation is most severe in Borno State, where renewed attacks and reduced humanitarian assistance have left over three million people food insecure, including more than 750,000 facing severe hunger and over 10,000 in catastrophic conditions.
The agency said insecurity is spreading beyond traditional hotspots, displacing communities, cutting off farmland and restricting humanitarian access, while access constraints for aid workers have worsened significantly.
WFP also warned that insecurity along major transport routes is disrupting humanitarian deliveries, with some areas now accessible only by air, further limiting response capacity. Despite rising needs, WFP said funding shortages have forced major cuts to operations, leaving only a fraction of those in need currently receiving assistance.
It warned that the growing gap in food aid is pushing vulnerable households into desperate coping strategies and heightening protection risks, particularly for women and children in displacement camps.
