UN Warns Of Catastrophic Hunger Driven By Violence In Northern Nigeria

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised the alarm over a worsening hunger crisis in northern Nigeria, warning that nearly 35 million people could face severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, the highest number ever recorded in the country.

The warning follows the release of the latest Cadre Harmonisé, a regional food security analysis that measures the severity of hunger. WFP highlighted that growing instability, including a surge in attacks by insurgent groups, is driving communities to unprecedented levels of deprivation.

“Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress,” said David Stevenson, WFP Country Director and Representative in Nigeria.

“If we can’t keep families fed and food insecurity at bay, growing desperation could fuel increased instability, with insurgent groups exploiting hunger to expand their influence, creating a security threat that extends across West Africa and beyond.”

Northern Nigeria is experiencing its most severe hunger crisis in a decade, with rural farming communities hardest hit. Nearly six million people in the conflict zones of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are projected to face crisis-level hunger or worse during the 2026 lean season from June to August.

Borno State alone could see approximately 15,000 people confronting catastrophic, famine-like conditions. Children remain particularly vulnerable in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara, where malnutrition rates are highest.

The surge in hunger is closely linked to escalating violence. Insurgent groups, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that reportedly carried out its first attack in Nigeria last month and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which is expanding across the Sahel, have intensified attacks throughout 2025.

Recent incidents include the killing of a brigadier in the northeast and attacks on public schools, leaving hundreds of teachers and schoolgirls missing.

The humanitarian crisis has been compounded by funding shortfalls that limit WFP’s ability to provide life-saving assistance. In the northeast, where nearly one million people rely on WFP’s food and nutrition programs, the agency was forced to scale down services in July, affecting over 300,000 children. Malnutrition in some areas worsened from “serious” to “critical” after clinics were closed in the third quarter of the year.

Despite soaring needs, WFP warns it will run out of resources for emergency food and nutrition assistance by December. Without urgent funding, millions will face hunger in 2026, further destabilizing northern Nigeria and threatening broader regional security.

“This is not just a humanitarian issue, it is a security issue that requires immediate global attention,” Stevenson emphasized. “Millions of lives are at stake, and action must be taken now to prevent further catastrophe.”