Nigeria food crisis worsening faster than expected, UN warns

By Segun Ojumu

A worsening food security crisis in northern Nigeria is driving hunger to levels not seen in nearly a decade, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

Ongoing conflict and a critical shortfall in international funding mean that millions of people, including vulnerable children, are being left without lifesaving aid.

According to the latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis, more than 17 million people across nine northern states are now facing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of hunger—an increase of nearly two million since previous projections. Nationwide, the number of food-insecure people has climbed to 36.2 million.

‘Catastrophic’ Hunger in Borno

The situation is most acute in the northeastern state of Borno, where a surge in insurgent attacks has coincided with forced cuts to humanitarian food supplies.

The UN analysis reveals that more than three million people in Borno are now acutely food insecure. Of those, 750,000 face severe hunger, while over 10,000 people have plunged into “catastrophic” conditions.

“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.”

Aid Pipeline Disrupted

• Blocked Routes: The number of areas deemed partially inaccessible to frontline staff has doubled. Attacks and illegal checkpoints on major roads mean humanitarian cargo is frequently disrupted, leaving expensive airlift services as the only viable transport option in many areas.
• Funding Shortfalls: In three northeastern states where 6.2 million people are food insecure, the WFP can now only afford to support 740,000 people. This leaves 5.5 million people without aid—a sharp decline from the 1.3 million people reached during the peak of the 2025 lean season.

The WFP says its ability to respond is being severely hampered by both a lack of funds and a deteriorating security situation on the ground.

Desperate Measures

The UN warned that the suspension of food assistance is driving displaced populations toward desperate and dangerous coping strategies.

There are growing reports of individuals joining armed groups simply to secure food or an income. Furthermore, the withdrawal of aid in displacement camps has triggered an alarming escalation in exploitation and gender-based violence targeting women and children.

“When people lose access to food, the risks of displacement, exploitation and instability increase,” Ms Samba warned. “Yet resources are at their lowest at the time they are needed most.”

The WFP says it urgently requires $89m (£70m) over the next six months to sustain its food, nutrition, and logistics operations in northern Nigeria to prevent further displacement and regional instability.