Source: UN News: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 00:01 AM
The United Nations World Food Program has issued a warning that 55 million people in countries located in West and Central Africa are expected to face a huge hunger crisis during the months of June to August this year. The situation is likely to worsen due to funding cuts to humanitarian aid efforts amid intense violent conflicts and displacement. In these regions, the period between June and August, between harvests, is a time when food supplies for agriculture-dependent communities begin to be depleted, scarcity and inflation increase, and malnutrition begins to deepen. The UN program released this finding based on a food security analysis in the African region. According to this, 13 million children could be vulnerable to malnutrition this year, while more than 3 million people Will face food insecurity at emergency level. In the year 2020, 1.5 million people were victims of emergency food insecurity, and now this figure has doubled. Tweet URL
Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger are said to be most affected by food insecurity. More than 15,000 people in Nigeria’s Borno state could face catastrophic levels of hunger, for the first time in almost a decade. The situation in West and Central Africa is getting worse due to challenges such as violent conflict, displacement and economic distress. But cuts in humanitarian aid funding have made it more difficult for local communities to cope with this crisis.WFP Regional Deputy Director Sarah Longford said funding cuts to 2025 have worsened hunger and malnutrition across the region. “As needs continue to outstrip aid funding, young people are at risk of falling into despair.” Food Aid Cuts According to the UN Programme, more than $450 million is needed to sustain humanitarian operations in the region for the next six months. Needed as soon as possible. This is for areas where the impact of budget cuts is becoming visible. In Mali, food supplies for families have been reduced, leading to a 65 percent increase in hunger there since 2023. In communities that are fully supplied with food, there has been a 34 percent decline in the number of people affected by hunger. Persistent insecurity has also disrupted vital food and other aid supply routes into major cities. Meanwhile, due to a lack of aid funding in Nigeria, the UN food agency has had to reduce the scope of its nutrition program, which has affected more than 3 million children and the level of malnutrition is decreasing in several provinces in the northern part of the country. In Cameroon, more than 5 million children are also at risk of being deprived of food assistance in the coming weeks. A change in approach is needed. The UN Food Program has stressed that adequate funding is needed for relief efforts to improve food security in the region. Its teams have worked closely with local communities in 5 countries, restoring 3 million hectares of land and supporting 4 million people In addition, efforts have been made to support infrastructure development, school feeding and nutrition, and capacity building to respond to extreme weather conditions and security risks. The WFP Regional Deputy Director urged Governments and partner organizations to increase investment in emergency preparedness to empower local communities.
