Armed attacks, aid cuts provoke record hunger levels in Nigeria: WFP

Nearly 35 cardinal radical ‘projected to look terrible nutrient insecurity’, including ‘famine-like conditions’.

Armed attacks, instability and assistance cuts are pushing bluish Nigeria towards grounds levels of hunger, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

Nearly 35 cardinal radical successful the northbound of the state are “projected to look terrible nutrient insecurity” from May to September 2026, the United Nations bureau said successful a study released connected Tuesday.

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The fig is the highest recorded successful Nigeria – the astir populous state successful Africa – by the organisation since monitoring began.

A projected 15,000 radical volition look “catastrophic hunger” oregon “famine-like conditions” successful Borno State, which has borne the brunt of “armed insurgent attacks” implicit the past 16 years, the study reads.

Malnutrition rates are highest among children successful Borno, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara, the WFP says. Nearly six cardinal radical deficiency basal minimum nutrient supplies successful Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, which are chiefly comprised of agrarian farming communities.

“The beforehand of insurgency presents a superior menace to stableness successful the north, with consequences reaching beyond Nigeria,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s Nigeria state director. “Communities are nether terrible unit from repeated attacks and economical stress.”

Besides Boko Haram successful the northeast, Nigeria besides suffers unit led by equipped gangs successful the centre and northwest of the country, wherever they raid villages, termination radical and kidnap for ransom.

Over the past week, the state has experienced 3 wide kidnappings.

At slightest 303 children and 12 teachers were abducted by gunmen from the Saint Mary’s Catholic School successful north-central Nigeria’s Niger State connected Friday.

In neighbouring Kebbi State, 25 Muslim precocious schoolhouse girls were taken, portion 38 worshippers were snatched from a religion during a livestreamed work successful Kwara State.

The hunger situation successful Nigeria and the portion is expected to get worse arsenic planetary bodies trying to assistance suffering populations look expanding backing challenges.

The WFP was forced to standard down its nutrition programme successful Nigeria successful July, affecting much than 300,000 children and exacerbating malnutrition levels from “serious” to “critical” successful the 3rd 4th of 2025.

Under President Donald Trump, the United States – the NGO’s largest donor – has slashed aid, leaving the bureau astatine hazard of moving retired of funds for exigency nutrient and nutrition by December.