The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that 4.3 million Nigerians in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are likely to face severe hunger between June and August 2023. The WFP which used an integrated tool for consensus analysis of severe food and malnutrition in the Sahel and West African regions to create the forecast, said a statement over the weekend.
WFP is concerned that years of armed conflict in northeast Nigeria have led to hunger and malnutrition. This predictably will be leaving millions in need of life-saving assistance and at risk of starvation.
“Almost 600,000 are on the brink of catastrophe. These people will face emergency levels of food insecurity, with extremely high rates of acute malnutrition and mortality in the absence of a sustained scale-up of humanitarian assistance,” the WFP added.
According to the UN agency, the ongoing conflict has affected the nutrition status of children on several fronts. They further added that two million children in the Northeast region are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
“A total of 24.8 million people, or 1 out of 8 individuals, are experiencing acute hunger this year in Nigeria’s 26 states and the capital, Abuja”, it stressed.
The WFP warned that the more people in need of urgent food assistance who go unassisted, the greater the risk of starvation and death among the most vulnerable. Furthermore, more people will be forced to resort to coping mechanisms such as survival sex, selling possessions and child labour.
“A lack of assistance also increases the risk of youth recruitment into armed groups, as well as displaced populations returning to inaccessible areas where they are beyond the reach of humanitarian assistance and other social services,” according to the UN agency.
Chronic Insecurity is preventing many people in the Northeast from growing the food they need or earning an income.
In the last year, the conflict has left households unable to leave their home. This is especially due to an increase in movement restrictions. As well as killings and abductions of civilians. Particularly in Borno where the violence is concentrated.
Thousands of people are left with only one month’s food supply. Even worse, households in conflict-affected areas rely on absolutely minimal income to purchase food.
The hunger crisis worsens an already bad situation for many families struggling with economic hardship and surging inflation. As well as the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, the currency redesign policy, and the slow post-COVID-19 recovery. This is made worse by unprecedented floods in 2022 which limited agricultural production and overall food availability.
WFP said it requires US$190 million over the next six months to provide lifesaving food and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable people.
cc: Daily Trust Ng
