Northern Nigeria’s food crisis has reached its worst level in almost a decade as escalating conflict, worsening humanitarian access and shrinking international funding leave millions without enough food, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
The UN agency warned on Thursday that the country’s food security situation is deteriorating faster than previously anticipated, saying it urgently needs $89 million over the next six months to sustain food, nutrition and logistics support across northern Nigeria.
According to WFP, the latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis shows that more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are experiencing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity, almost two million more than projected in the previous assessment.
“Conflict is driving hunger in some northern states, particularly the northeast, to levels not seen in almost a decade,” the agency said in the statement.
The situation is particularly severe in Borno State, where renewed insurgent attacks and cuts to humanitarian assistance have left more than three million people acutely food insecure.
