UN to Suspend Food Aid in Northeast Nigeria Amid Severe Funding Shortage

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced its decision to suspend emergency food and nutrition support to over 1.3 million people in northeastern Nigeria by the end of July 2025 due to a dire funding crisis. This decision, which comes at a critical time, threatens to deepen the ongoing hunger emergency in the region.

According to WFP, a staggering 31.8 million Nigerians across the country are projected to face acute food insecurity by August. The states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa—already devastated by over a decade of Boko Haram insurgency—remain the hardest hit. Many residents in these areas rely solely on international humanitarian aid to survive, particularly internally displaced persons (IDPs), children, and pregnant women.

David Stevenson, the WFP Representative and Country Director in Nigeria, described the situation as heartbreaking. He said the agency urgently needs $154 million to sustain operations and continue providing food and nutrition assistance over the next five months. Without this funding, many families will be left without support, risking widespread hunger and malnutrition.

“We are making the heartbreaking decision to halt aid to some of the most vulnerable people because we simply don’t have the funds,” Stevenson said.

The suspension is expected to exacerbate an already alarming situation, as food insecurity in Nigeria has been fueled by a mix of armed conflict, economic instability, inflation, and climate change. Many farmers in the region can no longer grow food due to ongoing violence and displacement, while inflation continues to drive up the cost of basic food items.

The WFP has made an urgent appeal to international donors to respond quickly in order to restore critical aid to the affected regions. Without immediate intervention, millions could face starvation, especially children and other vulnerable groups.

The looming food crisis serves as a stark reminder of the fragile humanitarian situation in northeastern Nigeria, where peace and security remain far from guaranteed.