The United Nations has issued a dire warning about a severe hunger crisis gripping West and Central Africa, with Nigeria's troubled northeast at the epicentre of potential famine. The World Food Programme (WFP) stated on Friday, 16 January 2026, that escalating violence combined with drastic cuts in international aid is creating a catastrophic situation.
A Region on the Brink of Starvation
Around 55 million people across West and Central Africa are projected to face acute food insecurity during the critical lean season between June and August 2026. This alarming figure was presented by Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP's Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis, during a briefing in Geneva. He explained that these millions are experiencing the three worst phases of hunger: crisis, emergency, and catastrophe.
The severity is deepening rapidly. Bauer noted that the number of people in emergency-level conditions has doubled since 2020, now standing at three million. Most shockingly, 15,000 people in specific areas of Nigeria's Borno state have entered the "catastrophe" phase—the most severe classification. This marks the first time in a decade this level has been recorded in the region.
Violence, Not Climate, is the Core Driver
Bauer, speaking from WFP's headquarters in Rome, was unequivocal about the cause. "This is not due to the climate," he stressed. "The vulnerabilities we're seeing in West and Central Africa right now are really due to violence." He pointed out that the last rainy season was relatively favourable, and crops are performing well.
Borno state remains the heart of a jihadist insurgency that began in 2009, a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced around two million people in Nigeria's northeast. This prolonged insecurity has devastated livelihoods, agriculture, and trade, creating the conditions for mass hunger.
Funding Cuts Create a 'Humanitarian Vacuum'
The crisis is being dramatically worsened by a sharp decline in international assistance. Bauer highlighted that under President Donald Trump, the United States has heavily slashed foreign aid, with other key donors also reducing support. As a result, WFP has been forced to drastically scale back its life-saving operations.
"The funding cuts are exacerbating the problem," Bauer stated. The consequences are stark:
- Last year, WFP stopped providing assistance to approximately 300,000 children in Nigeria due to lack of funds.
- In Cameroon, services for up to 500,000 people may be cut.
- In Nigeria, WFP plans to aid only 72,000 people next month, a drastic fall from reaching about 1.3 million monthly in 2025.
The situation has deteriorated so severely that Bauer described a "humanitarian vacuum" in some areas, as agencies have withdrawn from the front lines. To implement its essential work in the region over the next six months, WFP urgently requires $453 million.
"If these programmes are not funded, what we see is a very quick decline in food consumption indicators at the household level," Bauer warned. For the 15,000 in catastrophe phase in Borno, the reality is even grimmer. "This is a group that's one step away from famine," he said. "That does mean that people are dying... people are starving."
