Nigeria Faces Escalating Hunger Crisis as USAID Fundingโ Cuts Bite
MAIDUGURI,โค NIGERIA – A โsevere hunger crisis โis deepening in โnortheastern Nigeria as aid organizations struggle to โmaintain food assistance programs following significant cutsโฃ to funding from the United States agency forโ Internationalโ Development โ(USAID). The reduction in aid is โคcoinciding with Nigeria’s worst โขeconomic crisis in decades,marked by soaring food prices โฃand โคleaving millions โขvulnerableโ to malnutrition,especially internally displaced persons and refugees.
The โคpullback โขin U.S. support threatens critical programs for malnourished children โคand the most vulnerableโฃ populations.”We can no longer take special food for malnourished children to โขclinics,” statedโข Kats,anโฃ aid worker whose lastโ name was not provided โin the source material. “This is very bad. This isโ the moment that the โhumanitarianโข community needsโฃ to stay the course in the northeast. Weโ have a majorโ humanitarian crisis here.” The situation is โฃparticularlyโ dire in refugee camps like Bama,where food distribution has already beenโ scaledโค back,prioritizing onlyโค theโ most at-risk individuals.
nigeria is grappling with a confluence of crises.The economic downturn has driven upโข food โprices,making itโ increasingly tough for families โคto affordโ basic necessities. Together, the reduction in USAID funding โค- previously a โsubstantial source of aidโฃ – is creating a critical gap in humanitarian assistance.While the U.S.recentlyโ pledged approximatelyโ 28 million euros to the World food Program โ(WFP) in early September to combat malnutrition,โข aid workers emphasize this is a fraction of โขtheโ previous support provided through USAID.โข
Refugees โare already feeling the impact.”I share the food I getโข here with others,” said Fanne Hamza, a refugee standing โin line for food in Bama.”Fourโ orphans are havingโฃ dinner โคwith us.” Aidโข worker โคSoumbami tukunabo of InterSOS describedโค the situation as “heartbreaking,” explaining that organizations are being forced to inform communities thatโ fewer people will receiveโ assistance due to “global budget cuts.” โขThe long-term โconsequences ofโ reduced food aid could be devastating,โค possibly exacerbating instabilityโฃ and โขhindering recovery efforts in a region already facing significant challenges.