Nigeria is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster, with the United Nations warning that nearly 35 million people could face severe food insecurity this year. The BAY States—Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe—remain the epicenter, where 5.8 million people are at immediate risk.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Nigeria revealed these alarming figures in its 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP). It also projects that three million children under five will suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, including one million in the BAY States. Shockingly, eight out of every ten people in urgent need are women and children.
The situation is compounded by 16 years of conflict, mass displacement, economic hardship, and climate shocks, leaving millions trapped in a cycle of hunger and deprivation.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall warned: “Every day that funding gaps persist is a day that another malnourished child is pushed closer to preventable death.”
The Federal Government and humanitarian partners are urgently seeking $516 million to meet the needs of 2.5 million vulnerable people in the BAY States. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard Doro, pledged the government’s continued leadership, while governors Babagana Zulum (Borno), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration with humanitarian agencies.
OCHA also noted a steep drop in humanitarian funding, with the 2025 appeal receiving only $282 million, half of what was provided in 2024. Immediate action is critical to deliver lifesaving food, healthcare, water, sanitation, and protection services, while improved security is essential to protect civilians and create conditions for long-term recovery.
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