More than 17 million people across northern Nigeria are facing severe hunger as conflict, displacement and funding shortages drive food insecurity to its worst levels in nearly a decade, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday (2 July).
The agency said its latest food security assessment found nearly two million more people are now facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger than previously projected.
The crisis spans nine conflict-affected states, where violence by Islamist insurgents in the northeast and armed criminal gangs across other northern regions has displaced communities, cut off access to farmland and restricted humanitarian operations.
The situation is worsening during the annual lean season, when households typically exhaust their food supplies before the next harvest.
In Borno State, more than three million people are acutely food insecure, including more than 750,000 facing severe hunger and more than 10,000 experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger.
WFP said humanitarian access has deteriorated sharply, with the number of inaccessible areas doubling and major supply routes increasingly disrupted by attacks and illegal checkpoints.
The agency said it can now support only 740,000 people across three northeastern states, down from 1.3 million during the 2025 lean season, despite 6.2 million people in the region requiring food assistance.
“What concerns us most is how this crisis is expanding,” said Kinday Samba.
“For years, insurgent attacks and violence were largely concentrated in parts of northeast Nigeria. Today, they are spreading across a much wider area.”
WFP warned that shrinking food assistance is forcing many people to adopt desperate coping strategies, including joining armed groups in exchange for food or income.
The agency also said women and children in camps where aid has been suspended face increasing risks of exploitation and gender-based violence.
WFP said it urgently needs US$89 million over the next six months to sustain food, nutrition and logistics support across northern Nigeria.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The late...
Six candidates vying to become the next United Nations Secretary-General have called for restoring the organisation's credibility, strengthening multi...
Kazakhstan is set to become the first country in Central Asia to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis into its transport...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
Aleksandar Vučić's visit to Kyiv on 15 July appeared to send a geopolitical signal. But the significance of the trip lies less in the journey itself than in the limits Serbia carefully observed.
Six candidates vying to become the next United Nations Secretary-General have called for restoring the organisation's credibility, strengthening multilateralism and reforming the UN, during the first public town hall debate ahead of a decisive Security Council vote next week.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are facing renewed Western scrutiny after the EU expanded sanctions targeting Russia's supply chains and the U.S. introduced new tariffs affecting trade with Central Asia.
A fast-moving wildfire has forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate homes and camping sites near France's Atlantic coast as extreme heat and worsening drought continue to fuel wildfires across Europe.
Fresh off attracting $4.3 billion in foreign investment and loans during the first half of 2026, Tashkent is using the Global Business Services Forum (GBSF) to showcase Uzbekistan's growing appeal as a destination for international investment in technology, outsourcing and artificial intelligence.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has begun his first week working from No 10 North in Manchester, promising to shift power away from London, strengthen regional decision-making and drive economic growth across the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment