Millions Starve in Nigeria as Aid Ends and Jihadists Rise

A Looming Crisis in Northeastern Nigeria

Northeastern Nigeria is facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with hunger threatening the lives of over a million people. The region has been hit by a combination of resurgent jihadist attacks, significant cuts in foreign aid, and a rapidly rising cost of living. These factors have created a situation where many are on the brink of starvation.

Damboa, once a thriving agricultural hub, now finds itself at the forefront of this crisis. Located approximately 90 kilometers south of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, Damboa is situated near the Sambisa Forest, which has transformed from a game reserve into a stronghold for jihadist groups. Although the 16-year-old insurgency has seen a decline since its peak around 2015, recent months have witnessed a resurgence in attacks due to various factors that have strengthened these groups while straining security forces.

Almata Modu, a 25-year-old woman, fled her village in May after it was overrun by jihadists. She now resides in Damboa, where food rations are already scarce and set to run out as Western aid diminishes. “We are safe, but the food is not enough,” Modu said, approaching an aid distribution center at a police station.

Aminata Adamu, 36, also fled her home a decade ago and currently receives monthly rations for four family members, even though her family has grown to 11. This situation highlights the growing challenge of meeting the needs of displaced families.

The Impact of Aid Cuts

The limited food supplies are expected to run out by the end of July as Western aid cuts, including the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), send humanitarian programs into disarray. Chi Lael, the Nigeria spokeswoman for the World Food Programme (WFP), pointed to a stack of white bags of rice at a distribution center in Mafa, saying, “This is our last rice from USAID.”

There are five million people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states who are severely hungry, with only 1.3 million receiving food assistance. As supplies dwindle, WFP officials warn that “lives will be lost.” The timing could not be worse, as June to September is known as the “lean season,” when families have little food reserves. Normally, rural farmers would buy food, but mass inflation and forced displacement have left many unable to afford basic necessities.

Escalating Challenges

The IS-aligned Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has become more organized, while the Niger-Nigeria counter-terrorism collaboration has been strained. Military forces are stretched thin by a separate banditry crisis, and economic challenges have exacerbated rural grievances that such groups exploit. A farmer was recently killed in his field, highlighting the ongoing danger in the area.

Damboa has the highest and most severe cases of malnutrition among children under five years old, according to Kevin Akwawa, a doctor with the International Medical Corps. Fanna Abdulraman, a mother of eight, brought her six-month-old, severely malnourished twins to a nutrition center. She struggled to feed them, as she herself is malnourished and unable to produce milk.

Nutrition Centers at Risk

Of the 500 nutrition centers operated by the WFP in northeastern Nigeria, 150 are set to shut down at the end of July due to funding shortages. This leaves the lives of about 300,000 children at risk, according to Dr. John Ala, a WFP nutrition officer. Two banners bearing the USAID logo still hang on the front gate, but stocks will soon run out.

Security measures have increased, with everyone entering the center being frisked with a handheld metal detector. The looming food shortages threaten to worsen the situation, as experts warn that food insecurity and poverty can lead to more violence and instability.

A Growing Threat to Regional Stability

Across Nigeria, nearly 31 million people face acute hunger, according to David Stevenson, the WFP chief in Nigeria. With WFP operations collapsing in the northeast, “this is no longer just a humanitarian crisis, it's a growing threat to regional stability,” Stevenson said.

Fanna Mohammed, a 30-year-old mother of nine, remains unaware that food aid and child nutrition treatment will soon end. “I can't imagine that we will live,” she said, holding an eight-month-old on her back while a two-year-old fidgeted next to her.

In a June-to-September outlook report, the WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization warn that “critical levels of acute food insecurity are expected to deteriorate” as conflict intensifies, economic hardships persist, and floods are anticipated. Despite the desperate need for more food, only a few farmers dare to venture out, tending their fields under the protection of armed militias stationed along the Maiduguri-Mafa highway.