Millions in Central Sahel and Nigeria at risk of food cuts as the World Food Programme faces severe funding crisis
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns that life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Central Sahel and Nigeria will halt in April 2025 without urgent funding. This warning comes as the lean season - the period between harvests when hunger peaks - is anticipated to arrive earlier than usual this year across the Sahel region. Millions, including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), still rely on WFP's food assistance for survival.
In April 2025, funding shortfalls will force WFP to suspend food and nutrition assistance for 2 million crisis-affected people, including Sudanese refugees in Chad, Malian refugees in Mauritania, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable food-insecure families in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
The UN food agency urgently requires US$ 620 million to ensure continued support to crisis-affected people across the Sahel and in Nigeria over the next six months.
'The global shrinkage of foreign aid is posing a significant threat to our operations in Western Africa, especially in Central Sahel and Nigeria,' said Margot van der Velden, WFP's Regional Director for Western Africa. 'With millions expected to face emergency levels of hunger at the peak of the lean season, the world must step up support to prevent this situation from getting out of control. We need to act now to allow WFP to reach those in need with timely support. Inaction will have severe consequences for the region and beyond, as food security is national security,' van der Velden warned.
The latest Cadre Harmonisé regional food security analysis, released in December 2024, shows that Western Africa is in the grips of an acute food security and nutrition crisis. An estimated 52.7 million women, men, and children are projected to experience acute hunger between June and August 2025. This includes 3.4 million in emergency food insecurity (IPC-Phase 4) across the Sahel region and 2,600 in catastrophic hunger (IPC-Phase 5) in northern Mali. The hunger crisis in West Africa is driven by conflict, displacement, economic crises, and severe climate shocks, with devastating floods in 2024 affecting over six million people across the region.
Despite the ever-increasing needs in West and Central Africa, the proportion of the population facing extreme hunger (IPC Phases 4 and 5) is projected to increase by over 20 per cent by June 2025. However, the region remains chronically underfunded. As a result, WFP is forced to regularly make the difficult decision to cut rations, effectively taking from the hungry to feed the starving.
In Chad, the influx of refugees arriving from Sudan is placing enormous pressure on already limited resources, fueling tension and competition between communities, and leading to congestion at sites near the border with Sudan. This is particularly concerning as Chad enters its sixth consecutive year of severe food insecurity in 2025, with 4.2 million people affected during the June-August lean season – a more than 200 percent increase compared to 2020.
In neighboring Nigeria, the prolonged humanitarian crisis, worsened by high inflation and weather-related shocks, is endangering the lives of children, pregnant women, and entire communities. During the June-August lean season, 33.1 million Nigerians are expected to face severe food shortages. Northeast Nigeria bears a particularly heavy burden, with 4.8 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states facing acute hunger – an increase from 4.3 million in 2023.
WFP is working with the national governments, to assess and adapt its response to ensure urgent assistance reaches the most vulnerable, while calling for timely and flexible donor support, and safe and unhindered access to crisis-affected families amidst a challenging and volatile security and humanitarian landscape.
'The West and Central Africa region has long been neglected in terms of international funding and attention. We need a paradigm shift to reverse the worsening trend of hunger and its impact on vulnerable women, men, and children,' van der Velden added.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Without meat, families in Gaza struggle to celebrate Islam's Eid Al Adha holiday
With the Gaza Strip devastated by war and siege, Palestinians struggled on Thursday to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays. To mark Eid Al Adha -- Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice -- Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets. Children get gifts of new clothes. But no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months. Israel has blocked shipments of food and other aid to pressure Palestinian group Hamas to release hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war. And nearly all the territory's homegrown sheep, cattle and goats are dead after 20 months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives. Some of the little livestock left was on sale at a makeshift pen set up in the vast tent camp of Muwasi in the southern part of Gaza's Mediterranean coast. Palestinians walk trough a market ahead of Eid Al Adha in Gaza on Thursday. AP But no one could afford to buy. A few people came to look at the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some kids laughed watching the animals and called out the prayers connected to the holiday. "I can't even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,' said Abdel Rahman Madi. "The prices are astronomical.' The Eid commemorates the test of faith of the Prophet Ibrahim -- Abraham in the Bible -- and his willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of submission to Almighty God (Allah). The day is usually one of joy for children -- and a day when businesses boom a bit as people buy up food and gifts. A boy crouches as Palestinians gather to collect what remains of relief supplies from the distribution center of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday. Reuters But prices for everything have soared amid the blockade, which was only slightly eased two weeks ago. Meat and most fresh fruits and vegetables disappeared from the markets weeks ago. At a street market in the nearby city of Khan Younis, some stalls had stuffed sheep toys and other holiday knickknacks and old clothes. But most people left without buying any gifts after seeing the prices. "Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy… Now with the blockade, there's no flour, no clothes, no joy,' said Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman looking through the market. "We just go to find flour for our children. We go out every day looking for flour at a reasonable price, but we find it at unbelievable prices.' Palestinian men and boys perform Eid Al Adha prayers in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Friday. Reuters Israel's campaign against the Palestinian group Hamas has almost entirely destroyed Gaza's ability to feed itself. The UN says 96% of the livestock and 99% of the poultry are dead. More than 95% of Gaza's prewar cropland is unusable, either too damaged or inaccessible inside Israeli military zones, according to a land survey published this week by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. Israel barred all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months. It eased the blockade two weeks ago to allow a trickle of aid trucks in for the UN to distribute. The trucks have brought in some food items, mainly flour. But the UN says it has struggled to delivery much of the incoming aid because of looting or Israeli military restrictions. Palestinians react as they visit the graves of their relatives at a cemetery on the first day of Eid Al Adha in Khan Younis on Friday. Reuters Almost the entire population of more than 2 million people have been driven from their homes, and most have had to move multiple times to escape Israeli offensives. Rasha Abu Souleyma said she recently slipped back to her home in Rafah -- from which her family had fled to take refuge in Khan Younis -- to find some possessions she'd left behind. She came back with some clothes, pink plastic sunglasses and bracelets that she gave to her two daughters as Eid gifts. "I can't buy them clothes or anything,' the 38-year-old said. "I used to bring meat in Eid so they would be happy, but now we can't bring meat, and I can't even feed the girls with bread.' Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. AP Near her, a group of children played on makeshift swings made of knotted and looped ropes. Karima Nejelli, a displaced woman from Rafah, pointed out that people in Gaza had now marked both Eid Al Adha and the other main Islamic holiday, Eid Al Fitr, two times each under the war. "During these four Eids, we as Palestinians did not see any kind of joy, no sacrifice, no cookies, no buying Eid clothes or anything.' Agence France-Presse
Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
The Republic of Korea supports vulnerable families in Madagascar
The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a generous contribution of 10,000 metric tons of rice worth US$12.5 million from the Republic of Korea to support the food and nutritional needs of 480,000 vulnerable people in southern Madagascar. The contribution will enable WFP to reach 290,000 people for six months, starting in October, during the upcoming lean season – the period between harvests when families often run out of food stocks. It will also provide school meals to 190,000 students in 586 primary schools from September 2025 to June 2026. The activities will cover ten districts in the Anosy, Androy, Atsimo Andrefana, and Atsimo Atsinanana regions. 'This contribution comes at a critical time for communities facing food insecurity,' said Tania Goossens, WFP Representative in Madagascar. 'Thanks to the Republic of Korea's commitment, vulnerable households will be able to overcome the lean season and thousands of children will receive hot meals in primary school. We sincerely thank the Republic of Korea for their ongoing support and long-standing partnership in Madagascar.' As recurrent climate shocks are aggravating 1.3 million people food insecure in southern and southeastern region, this contribution is especially critical in supporting the most vulnerable communities. 'This donation reaffirms the Republic of Korea's solidarity with the Malagasy people, particularly the most vulnerable children and families in the South affected by climate shocks. We are demonstrating our commitment to collaborating with the Malagasy government, through WFP, in responding to food emergencies and strengthening the school feeding programme' said the Ambassador of ROK in Madagascar HEM. Park Ji-Hyun. Since 2019, the Republic of Korea has provided a cumulative US$30.5 million through various funding mechanisms in support of WFP operations in Madagascar. This strong partnership reflects ROK's growing commitment to combating hunger and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities across the country. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
The National
2 days ago
- The National
US and Israel-backed group extends closure of Gaza aid sites
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) pushed back the reopening of its aid sites set for Thursday, without clarifying when they would resume service, as starvation looms in the war-ravaged enclave. The GHF closed its distribution centres on Wednesday after a string of deadly shooting incidents near its sites killed scores of Palestinians and drew sharp United Nations condemnation. The US and Israeli-backed aid group originally said it was closing aid distribution sites in Gaza on Wednesday for "renovation" and that they would reopen Thursday. But the group said late Wednesday that its facilities would not open at the regular time. "Our distribution sites will not open early tomorrow morning as in previous days due to ongoing maintenance and repair work," it wrote on social media. "We will share information about opening times as soon as work is complete." The Israeli army warned against travelling "on roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones". The GHF said it was working to made aid distribution "as safe as possible" and urged those travelling to its sites to "follow the routes designated" by the Israeli army. The foundation began its operations last week after Israel eased a blockade on Gaza that had prevented aid from entering for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine. But the group's first week of work has been marred by violence and criticism. At least 27 Palestinians were killed waiting for aid at a distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah on Tuesday, according to Gaza authorities. On Sunday, 31 people were killed in a similar incident near a site run by the foundation. Three were killed on Monday. The GHF is a private group but is backed by the US and Israel. Its aid operations, which bypass traditional humanitarian groups, have been condemned by the UN and established charities, who say they place civilians at risk by forcing them to navigate militarised areas to reach the aid sites. The organisation has said it distributed more than seven million meals in its first week. Gazans are desperate for food after an 11-week Israeli aid blockade and are sleeping near aid collection points despite fears of deadly violence, The National has been told. Food shortages and ongoing violence have propelled fresh international calls for an end to the war but a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains elusive. The US, Israel's main ally, used its veto power at the UN Security Council on Wednesday to block a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza. Hamas condemned the veto as "disgraceful" and accused Washington of "legitimising genocide" in Gaza.
