ICRC: Over 3.7 Million Facing Severe Food Crisis in Northeast Nigeria Amid Conflict and Lean Season
Story written (By Okafor Chinonso Myra | July 22, 2025):
Abuja, Nigeria — July 22, 2025 – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has sounded the alarm over a worsening food crisis in northeast Nigeria, revealing that more than 3.7 million people are currently suffering from food shortages due to ongoing conflict and displacement in the region.
According to a press statement released on Monday by ICRC spokesperson Aliyu Dawobe, the prolonged insurgency has forced many once self-reliant farmers to abandon their lands, leading to widespread hunger and malnutrition across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States.
“The conflict has significantly disrupted agricultural activity and supply chains, leaving thousands of families vulnerable and unable to access sufficient food,” Dawobe said in Abuja.
Diana Japaridze, Head of the ICRC’s Maiduguri sub-delegation, emphasized that the crisis has worsened during the ongoing lean season — a time when families traditionally begin purchasing food but now face unbearable financial strain.
“This is the period when food is scarce and prices are high, but conflict-affected families simply can’t afford to buy what they need. Many are forced to drastically reduce their food intake,” she explained.
The ICRC noted that children under five, pregnant women, and nursing mothers are the most at risk, with rising cases of acute malnutrition reported in displacement camps and host communities. In response, the humanitarian organization is supporting malnutrition stabilization centers and conducting community education programs to help families better care for vulnerable children.
