The Digest:
The United Nations has warned that approximately 35 million Nigerians are at risk of acute hunger in 2026, including three million children facing severe malnutrition. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall announced the findings at the launch of the 2026 humanitarian plan in Abuja, attributing the crisis to the collapse of global aid budgets. He stated that the UN's response capacity is severely diminished, with plans to deliver only $516 million in lifesaving aid to 2.5 million people, a significant reduction from previous years. Fall emphasized that conditions are particularly dire in the conflict-ridden northeast, where violence has claimed thousands of lives.
Key Points:
- This represents a severe escalation of the food security crisis, potentially affecting nearly 16% of Nigeria's population.
- The drastic reduction in international aid shifts a greater burden onto the Nigerian government and local resources to address the shortfall.
- Widespread hunger and malnutrition will have long-term developmental consequences, especially for millions of children.
- The crisis is compounded by intense insecurity in the Northeast, where conflict disrupts agriculture and humanitarian access.
- The warning highlights the global trend of shrinking humanitarian budgets failing to keep pace with growing needs in crisis regions.
The UN's call underscores an urgent need for scaled-up national interventions and innovative funding strategies to avert a catastrophic hunger crisis.
Sources: Vanguard, The Cable
