The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that 25 million Nigerians are at risk of facing hunger between June and August 2023 if urgent actions are not taken.
According to the UN agency, this projection is an increase from the estimated 17 million people currently at risk of food insecurity in the country.
Development Diaries understands that of the 17 million people, three million are in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, northeast Nigeria.
Access to food has been severely affected by the 2022 widespread floods which damaged more than 676,000 hectares of farmlands coupled with the continued impact of conflict, climate change, inflation, and rising food prices.
Without immediate action, this figure is expected to increase to 4.4 million in the lean season. This includes highly vulnerable displaced populations and returnees who are already struggling to survive a large-scale humanitarian crisis in which 8.3 million people need assistance.
‘The food security and nutrition situation across Nigeria is deeply concerning’, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, said.
‘I have visited nutrition stabilisation centres filled with children who are fighting to stay alive. We must act now to ensure they and others get the life-saving support they need’.
It is also feared that children are the most vulnerable to food insecurity, with approximately six million of the 17 million food insecure Nigerians today being children under age five.
This presents a serious risk of mortality among children attributed to acute malnutrition.
UNICEF said it is working with the Nigerian government and other development partners to ensure that vulnerable children have access to life-saving nutrition services.
Photo source: UNICEF Ethiopia