More than 55 million people are facing a hunger crisis in West and Central Africa

• A hunger crisis looms over Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, all of which make up 77% of the food-insecure population in the affected area. At least 13 million children are at risk of malnutrition this year, according to a new report.
• Cuts in humanitarian aid are pushing millions of people deeper into hunger, amid rising violence and population displacement in West and Central Africa.
• WFP urgently needs more than $453 million over the next six months to continue providing life-saving humanitarian assistance across the region.

An estimated 55 million people in the West and Central Africa region are staring at a hunger crisis this year, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned. Currently, WFP is requesting $453 million in humanitarian assistance over the next six months to provide life-saving food assistance in the affected region.

The WFP said those at risk of a hunger crisis include 13 million children, who could suffer from malnutrition even if trapped in an area festering with rising violence and population displacement.

The latest analysis of the Harmonized framework – the equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for West and Central Africa – also predicts that more than three million people will face food insecurity emergencies (Phase 4) this year – more than double the 1.5 million in 2020.

The analysis shows that four countries, including Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, currently account for 77 percent of the food insecure population, including 15,000 people in the Nigerian state of Borno, who are at risk of catastrophic hunger (IPC-5) for the first time in almost a decade.

As humanitarian aid dwindles, millions of people in West and Central Africa face hunger

“Essential humanitarian assistance is a transformative and stabilizing force in unstable contexts,” said Sarah Longford, Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

“The reduced funding we have seen in 2025 has exacerbated hunger and malnutrition across the region. As needs exceed funding, the risk of young people falling into despair also increases. It is critical that we support communities in crisis so that rampant hunger does not further fuel unrest, displacement and conflict in the region.”

A toxic combination of rising conflict, population displacement and economic decline in the region has driven hunger to unprecedented levels, but the reduction in humanitarian aid is now pushing communities beyond their ability to cope.

In Mali, when families received lower food rations, areas experienced a 64 percent increase in acute hunger (IPC 3+) since 2023, while communities receiving full rations experienced a 34 percent decrease. But persistent insecurity in Mali has disrupted critical supply lines to major cities – including for food – with 1.5 million of the most vulnerable Malians expected to face a hunger crisis.

In neighboring Nigeria, last year’s funding shortfalls forced the WFP to scale back its nutrition programs, negatively impacting more than 300,000 children. In several northern states, malnutrition levels have worsened from ‘severe’ to ‘critical’ in recent months. The WFP said it will only be able to reach 72,000 people across Nigeria in February, reflecting a drastic reduction from the 1.3 million people served during the 2025 lean season.

The current bleak financing outlook threatens to further deepen the hunger crisis. In Cameroon, without urgent aid funding, more than half a million vulnerable people are at risk of being cut off from life-saving aid in the coming weeks.

The WFP is calling for $453 million to combat the negative impact of the hunger crisis

With adequate financing, WFP has consistently delivered measurable impacts that improve food security through resilience, social protection and anticipatory action. For example, land restoration in the Sahel returns up to $30 for every dollar spent. Since 2018, WFP and communities have rehabilitated 300,000 hectares of farmland in five countries to support more than four million people in more than 3,400 villages.

WFP programs in the region have supported infrastructure development, school meals, nutrition, capacity building and seasonal assistance to help families manage extreme weather and security risks, stabilize local economies and reduce aid dependency.

“To break the cycle of hunger for future generations, we need a paradigm shift by 2026. National governments and their partners must increase investment in preparedness, anticipatory action and building resilience to empower communities,” Longford said.

Right now, WFP urgently needs more than $453 million over the next six months to continue providing life-saving humanitarian assistance across the region.

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