Terrorist attacks push 35m in northern Nigeria toward severe hunger, UN Warns

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning that escalating terrorist attacks and worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria are driving hunger to levels unseen in years, with millions now at risk as the 2026 lean season approaches.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, nearly 35 million people across northern Nigeria are projected to face severe food insecurity between May and September – the period between planting and harvest when rural communities typically struggle the most.

In Borno State, the epicentre of the 16-year conflict with Boko Haram and its splinter groups, about 15,000 people are expected to experience catastrophic hunger, a phase the WFP describes as “famine-like conditions.”

The long-running insurgency has already taken a devastating toll, killing more than 40,000 people and displacing roughly two million across the northeast, with violence spilling into Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. Beyond the jihadist crisis, armed “bandit” groups continue to wreak havoc across northwestern and central states, raiding communities and kidnapping residents for ransom.

Nigeria witnessed three mass abductions last week alone:

Over 300 students and teachers were seized from a Catholic school in Niger State,

25 schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi State,

38 worshippers were taken from a church during a livestreamed service in Kwara State.

Although the insurgency is less intense than during its peak around 2015, attacks have surged since early this year, stretching the capacity of security agencies and deepening humanitarian distress.

Economic hardship compounds hunger

The lean season traditionally forces rural families to rely on savings or market purchases for food. But with inflation soaring amid a national economic crisis, many households can no longer afford basic staples.

Aid cuts worsen crisis

The WFP says the situation has been made worse by global funding cuts. The United States – its largest contributor – has reduced foreign aid under President Donald Trump, while several European donors have also slashed humanitarian budgets.

Nearly one million people in northeastern Nigeria rely on WFP assistance, but funding gaps have already forced the agency to scale back operations. In July, 150 out of 500 nutrition centres were shut down due to lack of funds, leaving over 300,000 children at risk and pushing malnutrition levels from “serious” to “critical.”

Jihadist attacks intensify

The WFP noted that militant violence has escalated this year, citing, among other incidents, the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which claimed its first attack in Nigeria late last month.

“Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s representative in Nigeria. “Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising.”