WFP: Aid to collapse in northeastern Nigeria as funding runs dry
WFP: Aid to collapse in northeastern Nigeria as funding runs dry
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The World Food Program (WFP) has issued a warning that its emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in northeastern Nigeria is set to stop by the end of July due to critical funding shortages, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement released Wednesday, the UN agency emphasized that without immediate financial support, millions of vulnerable individuals will face dire choices such as severe hunger, forced migration, or exploitation by extremist groups. WFP’s food and nutrition supplies were exhausted in early July, and life-saving assistance will cease after the current distribution cycle.
David Stevenson, WFP’s country director for Nigeria, noted that nearly 31 million Nigerians are currently experiencing acute hunger—a record high. He also stressed that WFP’s operations in the region will collapse without urgent and sustained funding.
In the first half of 2025, WFP provided life-saving aid to 1.3 million people in northern Nigeria, but funding gaps now threaten support for an additional 720,000. The organization urgently requires $130 million to maintain its programs through the end of the year.
The aid cutoff will disproportionately impact children under two years old. Meanwhile, escalating violence has displaced 2.3 million people in northern Nigeria, further stretching limited resources. Stevenson warned that the end of emergency assistance could force many to migrate in search of food and shelter or resort to harmful coping strategies, including joining insurgent groups.
