By Faridat Salifu
Conflict and insecurity have driven hunger in northern Nigeria to its highest level in nearly a decade, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned, raising concerns over worsening food insecurity and limited humanitarian access.
According to the WFP, escalating insurgent attacks and violence are forcing farmers off their land, disrupting food production and deepening the food crisis across the region.
The agency said the situation is particularly severe in northeastern Nigeria, where about 6.2 million people are facing food insecurity.
WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Kinday Samba, said the crisis is spreading beyond previously affected areas as insecurity continues to displace farming communities.
“Insurgent attacks and violence are spreading across a much wider area and forcing people from farmland,” Samba said.
He warned that humanitarian operations are struggling to meet growing needs because of limited resources, noting that the WFP is currently able to reach only about 740,000 of the 6.2 million food-insecure people in the country’s northeastern states.
According to Samba, humanitarian funding has fallen to its lowest level at a time when assistance is most urgently needed.
The WFP warned that continued conflict, displacement and inadequate funding could further worsen hunger unless additional resources are mobilised to support affected communities and restore access to food production.
The agency called for increased humanitarian assistance to prevent the crisis from escalating and to ensure vulnerable households receive the support needed to rebuild their livelihoods.
