Aid cuts worsen hunger for 1.2 million in Northeast Nigeria, says WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that aid reductions have left at least 1.2 million people in Northeast Nigeria facing deeper hunger. The agency highlighted that funding shortfalls have forced it to scale down nutrition programmes, impacting hundreds of thousands of children. Sarah Longford, WFP Deputy Regional Director, emphasized that the reduced funding has intensified hunger and malnutrition across the region. The WFP is urgently calling for increased support to address the growing crisis.
What we know
- The WFP says funding shortfalls last year led to scaled-down nutrition programmes, affecting more than 300,000 children in Nigeria.
- Malnutrition in several northern states has worsened from ‘serious’ to ‘critical’ levels.
- The agency will reach only 72,000 people in February, compared to 1.3 million during the 2025 lean season.
- Across West and Central Africa, 55 million people are expected to face crisis-level hunger or worse during the June to August lean season.
- The WFP urgently needs over $453 million in the next six months to continue humanitarian assistance in the region.
