Nigeria To Face Terrible Hunger : UN Warns of Rapidly Worsening Hunger Catastrophe as Terror Attacks Devastate Northern Nigeria

Nigeria To Face Terrible Hunger : UN Warns of Rapidly Worsening Hunger Catastrophe as Terror Attacks Devastate Northern Nigeria

Abuja, 25 November 2025

The United Nations has sounded a major humanitarian alarm as Northern Nigeria faces one of its most severe crises in decades, with escalating terrorist attacks driving food shortages, displacing thousands of families, and pushing millions closer to famine.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) revealed that communities in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states—already weakened by more than 13 years of violent insurgency—are now entering what officials describe as “famine-like conditions,” a stage of extreme deprivation where children are the most vulnerable.

WFP Representative and Country Director in Nigeria, David Stevenson, warned that the situation is becoming more dangerous and fast-moving than earlier forecasts suggested.

“The country is under serious pressure from continuous attacks and deepening economic tension,” Stevenson stated.

“Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising every day.”

Across the conflict-affected states, renewed assaults by armed groups have shattered any remaining sense of stability. Attacks on farming villages, transportation routes, local markets, and remote communities have significantly disrupted food production and distribution. Crops are being burned or abandoned, traders fear using major roads, and agricultural settlements have emptied as residents flee to avoid violence.

These attacks have not only forced thousands into displacement camps but also crippled the region’s capacity to grow and transport food. With farmlands deserted, households lack both income and access to food, while prices in local markets have surged beyond what many can afford. This has left families surviving on irregular rations, often eating far less than the minimum required for survival.

Aid workers operating in the northeast describe a rapidly deteriorating situation. They report widespread hunger in both displacement camps and host communities, where families sometimes share a single small meal among several children. Mothers, themselves weakened by extreme food scarcity, struggle to care for infants showing signs of severe malnutrition. Health facilities in many affected areas are overwhelmed, short-staffed, or inaccessible due to ongoing insecurity.

Meanwhile, humanitarian access is becoming increasingly dangerous. Aid convoys attempting to reach isolated communities face growing risks of road ambushes, vehicle seizures, and attacks on personnel. Several remote regions of Borno and Yobe have become almost entirely cut off, leaving residents trapped without food supplies or medical assistance. Humanitarian organisations warn that these inaccessible zones show some of the worst hunger indicators recorded this year.

Local leaders say the terror attacks have become so frequent and unpredictable that returning to normal life is nearly impossible. Farmers who once attempted to tend to their fields now avoid doing so after witnessing or hearing reports of colleagues being attacked or kidnapped. Communities fear planting or harvesting crops, not knowing if they will be targeted or displaced before the season’s end. As a result, large stretches of farmland—once the backbone of local livelihoods—remain unused.

Market systems across the region are also collapsing. Traders no longer feel safe moving goods across rural roads, while rising fuel costs and road blockades make transportation risky and expensive. The scarcity of food, combined with inflation and insecurity, has created a dangerous environment where even basic commodities are increasingly out of reach for poor families.

The UN warns that without immediate and large-scale intervention, the crisis could worsen dramatically within months. WFP officials estimate that the number of people facing life-threatening hunger could double, placing enormous strain on Nigeria’s humanitarian response systems.

David Stevenson emphasized that the crisis, though severe, is not beyond rescue if swift action is taken. He called for increased international funding, stronger protection for civilians and humanitarian workers, expanded access to remote communities, and long-term investment in rebuilding agricultural capacity destroyed by years of conflict.

“We are witnessing a rapidly unfolding tragedy,” Stevenson said.

“But with decisive global action, lives can still be saved.”

As Northern Nigeria confronts the devastating intersection of escalating violence and deepening hunger, the international community is being urged to respond immediately. Humanitarian organisations stress that millions of lives remain at risk, and the window to prevent a full-scale famine is closing quickly.