Millions in Central Sahel and Nigeria Face Hunger as WFP Faces Funding Shortage
Growing Food Crisis
The worsening hunger crisis in Central Sahel and Nigeria is being intensified by the early onset of the lean season—the period between harvests when food shortages peak. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), chronic hunger in the region is primarily fueled by conflict, displacement, economic instability, and extreme climate events. The situation has been further aggravated by devastating floods in 2024, which have affected over six million people across West Africa.
Funding Cuts Threaten Millions
Due to severe funding shortfalls, WFP will be forced to suspend food assistance for two million people in crisis, including Sudanese refugees in Chad, Malian refugees in Mauritania, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and food-insecure families in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
“With millions at risk of reaching emergency levels of hunger during the lean season, the global community must intensify support to prevent a catastrophe,” urged Margot van der Velden, WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa.
To continue food assistance across the Sahel region and Nigeria, WFP urgently requires $620 million over the next six months.
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Acute Food Insecurity
The latest food security analysis projects that 52.7 million people, including men, women, and children, will suffer from acute hunger between June and August 2025.
Despite the growing need for food aid, hunger levels in West and Central Africa are expected to rise by over 20% by mid-2025.
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Underfunding and Rising Needs
WFP continues to struggle with underfunding, forcing the agency to make difficult decisions—reducing rations and “taking from the hungry to feed the starving.”
In Chad, the ongoing refugee crisis caused by conflict in Sudan is increasing pressure on already scarce resources, escalating tensions within local communities. Alarmingly, Chad is entering its sixth consecutive year of severe food insecurity in 2025, with hunger rates increasing by over 200% since 2020.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the prolonged humanitarian crisis—exacerbated by soaring inflation and climate-related disasters—poses life-threatening risks to children, pregnant women, and entire communities. During the lean season from June to August, an estimated 33.1 million Nigerians will face severe food shortages.
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Urgent Action Needed
WFP is actively collaborating with national governments to adapt response strategies and ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable individuals. The agency is also calling for safe and unrestricted access to families affected by the crisis.
“We must take action now to enable WFP to deliver critical support to those in need. Failure to act will have devastating consequences for the region and beyond because food security is national security,” warned Ms. van der Velden.
Urgent intervention is needed to prevent an escalating catastrophe in the Sahel and Nigeria. The international community must rally together to support those facing extreme hunger before it’s too late.
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