Nigeria has been ranked among 16 countries facing rapidly worsening food insecurity, according to a new United Nations early-warning report that predicts a heightened risk of famine between November 2025 and May 2026.
The report, titled “Hunger Hotspots: FAO/WFP Early Warnings on Acute Food Insecurity,” was jointly released by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). It identifies countries where food shortages are expected to deteriorate sharply unless urgent humanitarian interventions are deployed.
Nigeria Listed as ‘Very High Concern’
Nigeria was placed in the category of “very high concern”, alongside Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, and Syria — countries battling severe conflict, economic crises, and climate-induced emergencies.
A second category — including Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen — was identified as facing an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger, classified under the highest warning threshold (IPC Phase 5), meaning populations are at risk of starvation.
Four additional areas — Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and the Rohingya refugee communities in Bangladesh — were highlighted as fragile regions requiring urgent attention to prevent further deterioration.
Funding Gap Threatens Humanitarian Intervention
The UN agencies revealed that only $10.5 billion of the $29 billion required to address global hunger emergencies had been received as of October 2025. The funding gap has forced humanitarian aid organisations to drastically cut food rations, suspend school feeding schemes, and scale down malnutrition treatment programmes.
FAO warned that without immediate support, farming communities in crisis zones will not receive seeds and livestock supplies in time for the next planting season, worsening food shortages in 2026.
‘Crisis Is Predictable — and Preventable’
FAO Director-General, Qu Dongyu, urged global leaders to prioritise prevention and resilience-building rather than reacting after famine has set in.
“We must move from reacting to crises to preventing them. Investing in livelihoods and social protection before hunger peaks saves lives and resources. Famine prevention is a smart investment in long-term peace and stability,” he said.
WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain, warned that millions could face starvation if world governments fail to act swiftly.
“Families are exhausting what little they have left. Mothers are skipping meals so their children can eat. Without new funding and full humanitarian access, the consequences will be devastating,” she said.
Call for Political Will and Full Access to Affected Areas
Both agencies stressed that famine is not inevitable — rather, it is “predictable and preventable” — but only if governments and donors show strong political commitment and provide timely resources.
They called for:
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Increased humanitarian funding,
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Protection of aid workers and unrestricted access to conflict zones,
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Investment in resilience and early warning systems.
The Hunger Hotspots report is issued twice a year under the Global Network Against Food Crises, a collaboration supported by the European Union, to guide early response to looming food emergencies.
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