The United Nations has warned that over 30 million people across Nigeria are at risk of acute food insecurity, calling for urgent humanitarian funding of $159 million to support life-saving interventions in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states over the next six months.
At the launch of the 2025 Lean Season Response Plan in Abuja, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Fall, stressed that immediate action is required to prevent widespread hunger and malnutrition, especially in the conflict-affected Northeast.
“Humanitarianism is under threat, solidarity is dwindling, and resources are critically short. Millions of lives are at stake, many of them children,” Fall said. He noted that in the three northeastern states alone, an estimated 4.6 million people will face acute food insecurity during the lean season, with 1 million children under five at risk of severe acute malnutrition — double last year’s figure.
The UN official warned that cuts in humanitarian funding have already compromised access to nutrition services for at least 40% of the 2.3 million women and children in need across the region. “Seventy percent of health services and half of nutrition services in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe have been affected. Resources are needed now to sustain life-saving interventions,” he said.
The six-month operational plan aims to scale up food assistance, health care, nutrition support, water and sanitation services, and protection for two million of the most vulnerable people. Fall emphasized that every dollar will be allocated efficiently, calling for local partnerships and innovative approaches.
“We must mobilize resources from member states, government, private sector, and donors to avoid catastrophic consequences. Compassion, solidarity, and swift action are imperative,” he urged.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, described the plan as a call to coordinated action against a preventable crisis. “This is not just a humanitarian issue; it is a moral one. We are leveraging technology, empowering local actors, and ensuring accountability to deliver an impactful response,” he said.
Yilwatda reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to lead the effort, promising that no child or mother in the region should suffer hunger or malnutrition when solutions are within reach.
