Nigeria Slides Toward Catastrophic Hunger as Insurgency Surges and Aid Dries Up

Northern Nigeria is facing its most severe hunger crisis on record, according to the U.N. World Food Programme.

Sana Khan

November 25, 2025

15 year-old Dada and her daughter Hussaina at home in a host community shelter in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. Dada was 12 years old when Boko Haram took her and an older sister. UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson VII

Northern Nigeria is facing its most severe hunger crisis on record, according to the U.N. World Food Programme. Violent attacks by insurgent groups including ISWAP and al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM, which launched its first attack in Nigeria this year have intensified throughout 2025, displacing communities and crippling farming. Kidnappings, school raids, and high-profile killings highlight how insecurity has spiraled. At the same time, international aid has been sharply reduced as the WFP’s largest donor, the United States under President Trump, cuts foreign assistance. With WFP funding projected to run out by December, nearly 35 million Nigerians could face hunger in 2026 the highest number ever recorded.

Why It Matters

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and a regional anchor. A hunger crisis of this scale risks destabilizing the entire West African region, deepening displacement, driving cross-border insecurity, and empowering extremist groups. The collapse of humanitarian funding means malnutrition among children already at critical levels in several northern states is likely to accelerate. As rural communities abandon farms for safety, the food system itself is weakening, threatening long-term recovery.

Those most affected are civilians in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara many already living with the legacy of Boko Haram’s long war. The Nigerian government, WFP, regional security partners, international donors, and local farming networks all sit at the center of this crisis. Armed groups like ISWAP and JNIM are exploiting both the insecurity and the humanitarian vacuum.

What’s Next

Unless emergency funding materializes within weeks, WFP will halt food and nutrition aid by December, cutting off nearly a million people in the northeast who rely on its assistance. Continued insurgent attacks are likely to push more communities into displacement and famine-like conditions. Expect intensified appeals from humanitarian agencies, pressure on donor governments to reverse cuts, and potential military operations aimed at regaining territory from insurgents. Without decisive action, 2026 could mark Nigeria’s worst hunger crisis in modern history.