Nigeria has been named among the top 10 countries grappling with the most severe Nigeria food crisis levels globally, as a new report highlights how regional violence is fueling a deepening global food insecurity emergency.
The latest international data, released this Friday, reveals that 266 million people across 47 nations endured high levels of acute hunger throughout 2025. This figure represents nearly a quarter of the populations analysed and is almost double the share recorded in 2016.
The findings indicate that the crisis is no longer a temporary fluctuation. Instead, it has become increasingly entrenched, concentrated heavily within a handful of nations fractured by conflict. Our team reviewed the detailed report published on the UN website, which paints a stark, persistent picture of human suffering.
“Acute food insecurity today is not just widespread – it is also persistent and recurring,” said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, warning that the crisis has become structural rather than temporary.
Earlier this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria disclosed that 35 million Nigerians are currently at risk of acute hunger.
Conflict Remains the Primary Driver of Food Insecurity
Conflict remains the primary driver of this emergency, accounting for more than half of all people facing severe hunger. Ten countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen—accounted for two-thirds of all people facing high levels of acute hunger.
At the most extreme end, famine was confirmed in 2025 in Gaza and parts of Sudan. This marks the first time since the report began that two separate famines have been recorded in a single year.
“This report is a call to action,” António Guterres said in the foreword, “to summon the political will to rapidly scale up investment in lifesaving aid, and work to end the conflicts that inflict so much suffering on so many.”
The data also highlights a sharp rise in the severity of hunger. More than 39 million people in 32 countries faced emergency levels of food insecurity. Furthermore, the number of people experiencing catastrophic hunger has increased ninefold since 2016.
Children Bear the Brunt of Humanitarian Aid Shortfalls
Children are among the most affected by these trends. In 2025, 35.5 million children were acutely malnourished, including nearly 10 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition—a life-threatening condition that dramatically increases the risk of death.
“Children with severe wasting are too thin for their height. Their immune systems weakened to the extent that ordinary childhood illnesses can become fatal,” Ricardo Pires of the UNICEF warned.
In the worst-affected areas—including Gaza, Myanmar, South Sudan and Sudan—overlapping crises of conflict, disease and limited access to services are driving extreme levels of malnutrition.
Displacement and the Declining Outlook
Forced displacement is compounding the crisis. More than 85 million people were displaced across food-crisis contexts last year. Displaced populations consistently face higher levels of hunger than their host communities.
“Forced displacement and food insecurity are deeply interconnected, forming a vicious cycle,” said Barham Salih, warning that humanitarian aid alone is not enough to break the pattern.
Despite the scale of the emergency, funding is declining. Humanitarian and development financing for food and nutrition responses has fallen back to levels last seen nearly a decade ago. This reduction limits the ability of governments and aid organisations to respond effectively.
Looking ahead, the outlook for 2026 remains bleak. Ongoing conflicts, climate shocks, and economic instability are expected to keep food insecurity at critical levels. Aid agencies caution that without a shift in approach, the world risks being locked into a cycle of deepening crises.
“We must shift from reacting too late to acting early, and from relying solely on food assistance to protecting local food production – because that is how we reduce needs, save lives and build resilience over time,” Qu said.
