The humanitarian crisis in northern Nigeria has worsened due to massive funding cuts by the United States, affecting aid organizations that provide critical assistance to millions of people in need. The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations food aid agency, has been forced to shut down more than half of its nutrition clinics across the northeast, leaving 300,000 children without access to essential nutrition supplements. Emmanuel Bigenimana, who leads northeast Nigeria operations for the WFP, said the agency had run out of resources in July and had no more food to distribute.
The funding cuts have had a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people in northern Nigeria, who are struggling to survive due to the ongoing conflict and insecurity in the region. The Boko Haram insurgency has disrupted food supplies, and the resulting food crisis has been exacerbated by climate shocks in the increasingly arid region. The WFP’s Bigenimana said the lack of funding had put millions of people at risk of violence, as they are forced to venture out of secure areas to look for food and other essential supplies.
The funding cuts have had a disproportionate impact on children, who are most vulnerable to malnutrition and other health problems. Zara Ali, a 30-year-old mother, told Ireport24news that her two-year-old daughter, Amina, had been suffering from malnutrition and had to visit the hospital frequently. Ali said that several aid clinics she visited for free treatment had begun to scale back operations or completely shut their services, making it difficult for her to access the care her daughter needs. “Honestly, their interventions were really helpful, and we need them to come back and help our children,” Ali said.
The WFP’s nutrition clinics are critical in providing ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to children suffering from malnutrition. The RUTF is a protein-rich paste made from groundnuts and milk powder that can rapidly stabilize a malnourished child. However, with the funding cuts, the WFP has been unable to provide this critical assistance to children in need.
Northeast Nigeria should be a food basket for the country, due to its fertile savannah vegetation suitable for cultivating nuts and grains. However, the Boko Haram conflict has disrupted food supplies, and the resulting food crisis has been exacerbated by climate shocks in the increasingly arid region. Kabir Adamu, a security analyst, said the conflict had made it difficult for farmers to cultivate their land, and many had been forced to abandon their farms.
The military has hunkered down in garrisoned towns since 2019 to avoid troop losses, making it hard for farmers to access their land. Those who venture outside the towns risk being targeted by armed fighters. In rural areas not under army control, Boko Haram operates as a sort of government, exploiting villagers to generate money. “The armed actors collect taxes from them to use land for farming,” Adamu said, adding that for rural farmers, those taxes often prove heavy on the pockets.
The aid cuts risk more violence, as people are forced to venture out of secure areas to look for food and other essential supplies. Bigenimana said the WFP had warned that the lack of funding could lead to more violence, as people become desperate and frustrated. “People are attempting to go and get firewood to sell outside the secure points,” he said. “Even when we delay distribution on normal days, people protest. So we are expecting that, and it could get violent.”
The consequences of the aid cuts are already being felt, with more malnourished children being admitted to hospitals and nutrition centers. Muhammad Bashir Abdullahi, an officer with medical aid group Doctors without Borders (MSF), said the organization had recorded more than 6,000 malnourished children in its Maiduguri nutrition center since January. “We used to admit 200 children weekly, but last week we admitted up to 400 children,” Abdullahi said.
The situation in northern Nigeria is dire, and the aid cuts have only exacerbated the crisis. The international community must come together to address the humanitarian crisis and provide emergency assistance to those in need. The WFP’s Bigenimana said at least $130m was required for the agency to speedily get back on track with its operations in Nigeria. Without this funding, the situation is likely to continue to deteriorate, with devastating consequences for millions of people in northern Nigeria.