Nigeria Faces Record Hunger Crisis as UN Food Aid Runs Out
Abuja, 22 January 2026
The World Food Programme will slash assistance from 1.3 million to just 72,000 people in February, leaving over one million Nigerians without emergency food aid. This dramatic reduction comes as 35 million people face severe hunger—the highest figure recorded on the continent. Renewed violence has displaced 3.5 million people in recent months, while malnutrition rates have reached critical levels across northern states. The crisis intensified following cuts to US aid funding under President Trump’s administration.
Unprecedented Funding Shortfall Forces Drastic Cuts
The World Food Programme announced on Tuesday that it will dramatically scale back assistance to just 72,000 people in February, representing a staggering reduction from the 1.3 million people it assisted during last year’s lean season from May to October [1]. This represents a reduction of -94.462 percent in assistance levels. The agency stated that despite generous contributions that sustained life-saving aid in recent months, those limited resources have now been exhausted [1]. David Stevenson, WFP’s Nigeria Country Director, warned that this will lead to catastrophic humanitarian, security and economic consequences for the most vulnerable people who have been forced to flee their homes in search of food and shelter [1].
Violence Displaces Millions as Security Deteriorates
Renewed violence has displaced approximately 3.5 million people in recent months, destroying critical food supplies and pushing malnutrition rates to critical levels across several northern states [1]. The surge in attacks has been particularly devastating, with more than 4,000 people killed in the first eight months of 2025, matching the toll for all of 2023 [2]. Widespread attacks by various armed groups have deterred farmers from using their land, officials reported [1]. The deteriorating security situation was highlighted last week when gunmen abducted more than 150 worshippers in simultaneous attacks on three separate churches in northwest Nigeria [1]. The violence has created a vicious cycle where displaced populations require humanitarian assistance, but the same insecurity that created their displacement prevents adequate aid delivery.
Record Hunger Levels Threaten 35 Million Nigerians
According to the WFP, 35 million people are likely to experience severe hunger in Nigeria this year, representing the highest figure on the continent and the largest recorded since the agency began collecting data in the country [1]. This crisis includes 3 million children facing severe malnutrition [2]. In Borno State alone, 15,000 people are at risk of catastrophic hunger classified as IPC Phase 5, the most severe level of food insecurity [3]. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall emphasised that these are not mere statistics, stating that these numbers represent lives, futures and Nigerians [2]. The scale of the crisis has overwhelmed traditional aid mechanisms, with Fall noting that the long-dominant, foreign-led aid model in Nigeria is no longer sustainable [2].
International Aid Cuts Compound the Crisis
The humanitarian emergency has been significantly exacerbated by massive cuts to international aid funding, particularly following US President Donald Trump’s decision to gut the United States Agency for International Development [1]. Nigeria is among several countries in the region where cuts to USAID have deepened the food crisis, with WFP suspending food assistance across West and Central Africa in July [1]. The UN can now only aim to deliver $516 million to provide lifesaving aid to 2.5 million people this year, down from 3.6 million in 2025, which was already about half the previous year’s level [2]. WFP urgently requires $129 million to sustain operations in northeast Nigeria over the next six months, without which it faces a complete operational shutdown [3]. Stevenson warned that if WFP cannot continue supporting displaced populations in camps, they will leave the sites in a desperate attempt to survive, potentially migrating or joining insurgent groups to feed themselves and their families [3].