The United States has approved $32.5 million in aid to help Nigeria tackle its growing hunger crisis, a move that comes after years of reduced support under previous U.S. administrations. The funding, announced by the U.S. mission to Nigeria on Wednesday, is aimed at providing food assistance and nutritional support to internally displaced people in conflict-affected regions.
Northern Nigeria has been grappling with a severe hunger emergency, exacerbated by ongoing insecurity and prior cuts in aid. According to Margot van der Velden, the World Food Program’s regional director for West Africa, more than 1.3 million people risk going without food, while 150 nutrition clinics in Borno State face possible closure.
Earlier this year, the WFP had to suspend food assistance across several crisis-hit countries in West and Central Africa due to funding shortfalls, leaving millions of vulnerable people without access to emergency aid. Food stocks in many of these areas were projected to run out by September, intensifying the humanitarian threat.
The newly approved U.S. support will reach more than 764,000 people in the northeast and northwest of the country. This includes specialized nutrition assistance for 41,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, as well as 43,200 children, delivered through electronic food vouchers to ensure timely and safe distribution.
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by persistent violence in the region. Recent months have seen a spike in attacks on communities in the northwest and north-central zones, often triggered by disputes over land and water. In June, one attack in north-central Nigeria claimed 150 lives.
The northeast continues to face an insurgency that has left approximately 35,000 civilians dead and forced over two million people from their homes, according to United Nations data. The U.S. aid injection offers a critical lifeline for millions struggling amid these overlapping crises, helping to stabilize food access and support vulnerable populations.
