The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that over one million people in northeast Nigeria could lose access to emergency food and nutrition assistance within weeks unless urgent new funding is secured. For the first time in the country, WFP’s aid will be limited to only 72,000 people, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Nigeria is currently facing one of its worst hunger crises in recent years. Nearly 35 million people are expected to experience acute and severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, according to the Cadre Harmonisé, the regional equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). In Borno State alone, approximately 15,000 people are at risk of catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5), marking the highest levels of hunger recorded in a decade.
David Stevenson, WFP’s Nigeria Country Director, emphasized that halting food assistance now would have catastrophic humanitarian, security, and economic consequences for the most vulnerable populations, including those displaced from their homes in search of food and shelter. He noted that humanitarian interventions remain one of the last stabilizing forces preventing mass displacement and regional spillover.
Since 2015, WFP has provided food assistance in northeast Nigeria, reaching nearly two million people annually. Its approach combines emergency support with programs designed to strengthen local communities’ resilience to food shocks and reduce dependency on aid. By procuring food domestically, WFP also supports local economies and value chains while promoting self-sufficiency.
Recent spikes in violence have devastated fragile rural communities, displacing 3.5 million people in the past four months alone, with 80 percent located in northern states. These crises have destroyed food reserves, worsened malnutrition rates to critical levels, and accelerated hunger and insecurity across the region.
Despite recent contributions that sustained life-saving aid, WFP’s resources have been exhausted. Stevenson warned that without continued support, displaced populations may leave camps in desperate search of survival, potentially migrating or joining insurgent groups to feed themselves and their families.
WFP urgently requires USD 129 million to maintain operations in northeast Nigeria over the next six months. Without this funding, the organization faces a full operational shutdown, risking the loss of critical humanitarian support to millions of vulnerable people.
The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing food assistance in emergencies and using it as a tool to promote peace, stability, and prosperity for populations affected by conflict, disasters, and climate change.
