Severe cuts to humanitarian aid in north-eastern Nigeria are triggering deep concerns among aid agencies, who warn that the funding shortfall could create a dangerous vacuum that Boko Haram may exploit to expand its influence and recruit vulnerable youths. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to ration assistance for months and has now completely run out of supplies, leaving millions in one of the world’s most volatile regions at risk of hunger and exploitation.
Trust Mlambo, WFP’s head of operations in the region, described the situation as a looming catastrophe. “It will be much easier for militants to lure youths to join them and spiral insecurity across the whole region,” he said, emphasizing that food insecurity and desperation create fertile ground for radicalization. The warning comes as Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states continue to grapple with the devastating effects of over a decade-long insurgency that has displaced millions and destroyed entire communities.
Boko Haram, originally a radical religious movement formed in the early 2000s, has become one of the deadliest jihadist groups in the world. Since launching its armed campaign in 2009 to establish an Islamic state, the group has caused widespread devastation, including in neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The group is notorious for its 2014 abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok and has since continued to carry out kidnappings, raids, and mass displacements. In 2015, a splinter faction pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, further escalating the conflict.
The human impact of the crisis is staggering. Aisha Abubakar, a 40-year-old mother from Borno state, has lost more than half her family to insurgent attacks and disease. “My husband and six children were killed in the bush,” she told the BBC, holding her seven-month-old baby at an aid distribution centre in Gwoza. Four of her children survived, including one who was recently rescued after being kidnapped by Boko Haram.
Aisha’s story reflects the grim reality faced by close to 1.4 million displaced people in north-east Nigeria who depend entirely on humanitarian aid to survive. Now living in Gwoza, a garrison town on the edge of Boko Haram-controlled forested hills, she struggles to keep her family alive with just $20 credited to her aid card each month, which she uses to buy a sack of maize and a few essentials. “Life in the village was unbearable, we were always on the run,” she said. “I could never go back.”
The funding crisis has already had deadly consequences. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that more than 652 children have died in their facilities since the beginning of 2025 due to severe malnutrition and lack of timely medical care. MSF said the number of children suffering from the most critical form of malnutrition has more than doubled this year compared to 2024. “The true scale of the crisis exceeds all expectations,” said MSF’s country representative Ahmed Aldikhari, warning that the situation could deteriorate rapidly without urgent intervention.
WFP has issued an emergency appeal, warning that its warehouses are now empty. “We are desperate for any generous donations,” Mlambo said, adding that the agency has no resources left to continue food distribution beyond the current cycle. The funding gap has been attributed to a combination of donor fatigue and shifting global priorities, with major backers such as the US, UK, and European Union scaling back or halting contributions.
The US State Department acknowledged that recent changes to its humanitarian assistance programmes had led to some cuts as part of the “America First” policy. While it stressed that the United States remains the world’s largest donor, the reductions have had an immediate impact on the ground. Combined with Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges including inflation, currency devaluation, and systemic corruption, the aid cuts have created a perfect storm for a worsening humanitarian disaster.
The Nigerian government has recently acknowledged the scale of the problem. Vice-President Kashim Shettima warned that malnutrition has deprived 40% of Nigerian children under five of their full physical and cognitive potential. Last month, the government launched a national nutrition board, described by Shettima as a “war room to battle against malnutrition in every corner of the country.” While the move was welcomed, aid agencies stress that without restoring and scaling up international humanitarian funding, the crisis could spiral beyond the government’s control.
Over 150 donor-funded nutrition clinics in the north-east are now facing imminent closure, leaving displaced populations and vulnerable children without lifesaving treatment. With food shortages deepening and security challenges mounting, aid organizations warn that the combination of hunger, displacement, and desperation could hand Boko Haram an opportunity to regain strength in the region.
For millions in north-east Nigeria, the coming months will be critical. Without urgent intervention and restored funding, the crisis threatens to escalate into one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in recent African history, putting both lives and regional stability at grave risk.
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