The United Nations has launched an appeal for $910 million to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, which has been plagued by ongoing insurgencies since 2009 and was further devastated by flooding last year. The request comes as the region faces severe food insecurity and a growing cost-of-living crisis.
According to UN documents obtained by Reuters, approximately 7.8 million people in the states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The UN aims to support 3.6 million of those affected. At an estimated cost of $910 million, this crisis is now recognized as the most expensive humanitarian emergency in West and Central Africa, surpassing those in Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
The situation is compounded by Nigeria’s broader economic struggles, including the highest inflation rate in nearly three decades. Soaring food prices have deepened the cost-of-living crisis, pushing millions of Nigerians to the brink of survival. The country’s financial challenges are further exacerbated by President Bola Tinubu’s controversial economic reforms, which have included the removal of fuel subsidies and adjustments to foreign exchange policies. While these measures aim to stabilize the economy in the long term, they have faced widespread criticism for intensifying the financial hardships of Nigerians in the short term.
The humanitarian situation in the northeast risks being overshadowed by global crises, with international focus shifting to the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. The UN has warned that the region’s plight may become a “forgotten crisis” if global attention continues to wane. A joint report from the Nigerian government and the UN, released in November, projected that over 30 million people in Nigeria will experience food insecurity this year, marking one of the country’s worst hunger crises in recent history.
As the humanitarian emergency deepens, aid agencies are struggling to keep pace with the rising needs. The UN’s $910 million appeal underscores the urgency of the situation, calling for immediate global support to alleviate the suffering of millions in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions.