Hunger is tightening its grip on Northeast Nigeria — and this time, it’s not just conflict or climate shocks to blame. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), funding cuts are now pushing vulnerable families beyond their breaking point.
The UN agency revealed on Friday that at least 1.2 million people in the region have fallen deeper into hunger after aid programmes were scaled down due to lack of funds. The warning is based on the Cadre Harmonisé, a regional food security system similar to the global IPC scale, which tracks hunger levels from minimal to catastrophic famine.
And the signs are worrying.
Last year alone, funding shortfalls forced WFP to reduce nutrition support in Nigeria, affecting more than 300,000 children. As a result, malnutrition levels in several northern states have worsened, sliding from “serious” to “critical.”
The impact is already being felt on the ground. WFP says it will reach just 72,000 people in February, a sharp drop from the 1.3 million people it supported during the 2025 lean season.
Zooming out, the picture across West and Central Africa is even more alarming. An estimated 55 million people are expected to face crisis-level hunger or worse between June and August, while 13 million children could suffer malnutrition this year. More than three million people are already battling emergency food insecurity — more than double the figure recorded in 2020.
Despite rising violence and displacement, funding continues to shrink. WFP notes that Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger together account for 77 per cent of food insecurity in the region.
In Borno State, the situation is especially dire. For the first time in nearly a decade, 15,000 people are now at risk of catastrophic hunger.
“Conflict, displacement and economic hardship are driving hunger, but funding cuts are now pushing communities beyond their coping capacity,” WFP warned.
Speaking on the crisis, Sarah Longford, WFP’s Deputy Regional Director, said reduced funding in 2025 has significantly worsened hunger and malnutrition.
“As needs continue to outpace funding, the risk of young people falling into desperation also grows,” she said.
To keep lifesaving assistance going, WFP says it urgently needs over $453 million in the next six months. Without it, more than 500,000 vulnerable people in Cameroon alone could lose food support in the coming weeks.
The consequences of reduced aid are already clear. In Mali, areas that received smaller food rations recorded a 65 per cent spike in acute hunger, while places that got full rations saw hunger drop by 34 per cent.
Yet WFP insists that aid works when properly funded. Its teams have helped rehabilitate 300,000 hectares of farmland, supporting over four million people in more than 3,400 villages. Other programmes include school feeding, nutrition support, seasonal assistance, and infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening local economies and reducing long-term dependency on aid.
“To break the cycle of hunger for future generations, we need a paradigm shift in 2026,” Longford said, urging governments and partners to invest more in early action, preparedness, and resilience-building.
The message is clear: without urgent funding, hunger will only deepen — but with the right support, recovery is still possible.
Leave a comment