UN World Food Programme forced to suspend emergency food assistance in Nigeria

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will be forced to suspend all emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in North-East Nigeria at the end of July due to critical funding shortfalls.

The WFP urgently requires $130 million to prevent an imminent pipeline break and sustain food and nutrition operations through the end of 2025, a statement by the UN body further notes.

This comes amid escalating violence and record levels of hunger in the region.

David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for Nigeria, said “Nearly 31 million people in Nigeria are now facing acute hunger, a record number.

“At the same time, WFP’s operations in northeast Nigeria will collapse without immediate, sustained funding. This is no longer just a humanitarian crisis, it’s a growing threat to regional stability, as families pushed beyond their limits are left with nowhere to turn.”

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A statement noted that the WFP’s food and nutrition stocks had been completely exhausted, with the organisation’s last supplies leaving warehouses in early July.

“Without immediate funding, millions of vulnerable people will face impossible choices: endure increasingly severe hunger, migrate, or risk exploitation by extremist groups.

“When emergency assistance ends, many will migrate in search of food and shelter. Others will adopt negative coping mechanisms – including potentially joining insurgent groups – to survive,” added Stevenson. “Food assistance can often prevent these outcomes. It allows us to feed families, help rebuild economies and support long-term recovery”, the statement added.

The statement added that the suspension of aid would have devastating consequences, particularly for children.

Over 150 WFP-supported nutrition clinics in Borno and Yobe States will close, ending potentially life-saving treatment for more than 300,000 children under two and placing them at increased risk of wasting.

The organisation has the capacity and expertise to deliver and scale up its humanitarian response, but the critical funding gap is paralysing operations.

Ruth Tene Natsa

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet. An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.