By Obinna Uballa
The United Nations has issued a fresh warning over worsening food insecurity, listing Nigeria among 16 global hunger hotspots where millions are on the brink of starvation due to conflict, economic shocks, and collapsing humanitarian aid.
In a joint report released on Wednesday, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said hunger levels are rising sharply in countries already battered by violence and climate extremes, adding that funding shortfalls have forced aid agencies to scale back life-saving interventions.
The report ranked Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen as facing the most imminent risk of famine, while Nigeria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, and Syria were listed among countries of “very high concern.” Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh also made the list.
“We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “Failure to act will only drive further instability, migration, and conflict.”
According to the agencies, humanitarian funding has dropped to dangerously low levels, with only $10.5 billion provided out of the $29 billion required to feed and support at-risk populations this year.
The WFP said it had already cut food assistance to refugees and displaced persons in several countries and suspended school feeding programmes in others.
FAO also warned that a lack of funding was threatening farming activities critical to food stability, urging support for seeds, fertilisers, and livestock health services “before planting seasons begin or new shocks occur.”
Nigeria, which has been battling high inflation and insecurity, remains one of the countries most exposed to worsening hunger. The UN agencies warned that without urgent support, millions of Nigerians could slide deeper into food crisis in the coming months.
