Starvation Crisis Looms: Aid Cuts Leave Over 1 Million Nigerians on the Brink of Famine

By iNewsAfrica Staff Writer

Abuja, Nigeria – July 5, 2025 | A devastating humanitarian crisis is unfolding across northern Nigeria, as international aid agencies warn that over 1 million people face imminent starvation following a sharp collapse in food assistance programs due to global funding cuts.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded the alarm, stating it will run out of food stocks by the end of July, leaving more than 1.3 million Nigerians without critical food aid and halting operations at over 150 nutrition clinics that currently support 300,000 malnourished children.

“This is one of the worst hunger emergencies Nigeria has seen in years,” said a WFP spokesperson. “Unless new funding arrives, we will have no choice but to suspend lifesaving support to millions by August.”

A Triple Threat: Conflict, Climate & Cuts

The crisis is driven by a deadly trio of conflict, climate shocks, and a collapse in donor funding:

• Conflict and Insecurity: Ongoing violence by Boko Haram and other armed groups has displaced more than 3 million people in the northeast. Vast farmlands lie abandoned, while food transport routes are under constant threat from attacks.

• Climate Disasters: Erratic rainfall and extreme weather events—ranging from historic floods to persistent drought—have destroyed crops, worsened food scarcity, and pushed already vulnerable communities to the edge.

• Aid Withdrawal: Funding cuts by major donors, including the United States, have dealt a crippling blow to humanitarian efforts. The WFP’s Nigeria operation, which once relied heavily on U.S. funding, has seen its budget slashed by over 80% since 2023.

Children at Risk, Lives on the Line

The stakes are highest for children. With malnutrition rates soaring, UNICEF estimates that 1 million children under five are at risk of severe acute malnutrition in northeast Nigeria alone—many of whom could die without therapeutic feeding programs.

Experts warn that the sudden halt in food and nutrition services could result in tens of thousands of preventable child deaths in the coming months.

Global Call to Action

The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has issued an urgent appeal for emergency donations, but less than 11% of required funding has been received so far. Without immediate international intervention, humanitarian agencies say Nigeria could plunge into one of the deadliest hunger crises in recent memory.

“Inaction is not an option,” said one aid worker in Borno State. “If the world turns away, it won’t just be a funding shortfall—it will be a moral failure.”

iNewsAfrica will continue to monitor the situation. For firsthand stories, regional insights, and updates from the frontlines of Africa’s food crisis, stay with us.