Lives on the Line: Understanding Nigeria’s Struggles

More than a decade after conflict erupted, the country’s security landscape remains fragile, with millions of people still living with the consequences — displacement, uncertainty, and hunger. Despite steady economic growth, nearly half of Nigeria’s population continues to live below the poverty line.

In 2025, an estimated 7.8 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 3.6 million in the country’s northeast. A total of 33 million people across the country are projected to face acute food insecurity during the lean season from June to September, the highest figure in six years. This fragility is further exacerbated by natural disasters, such as recurring floods and droughts, which continue to devastate already limited livelihoods. While the northeast remains in the spotlight of funding appeals, critical needs and gaps are also emerging in other parts of the country, such as Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara states, where malnutrition rates have reached emergency levels. 

A Growing Nutrition Crisis: Millions of Children at Risk

In 2025, the recent estimates indicate that 5.4 million children and 787,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women will be acutely malnourished. The root causes of malnutrition are deeply interconnected. Insecurity, protracted conflict, poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to safe and clean drinking water are among the most frequently reported drivers. Equally important is maternal health during pregnancy — poor nutrition, limited access to healthcare, and repeated infections can all have lasting effects on newborns, increasing their risk of malnutrition from birth.

Due to funding cuts from the U.S. government, services have been suspended in 293 health facilities by several INGOs and local partners operating in the region.  As a result, the facilities remain open but are unable to provide essential services, leading to a sharp increase in patient numbers at clinics supported by Action Against Hunger. “We’ve seen twice as many patients as usual — the facility is overwhelmed,” explains Dr. Kamai Nkeki Yahi.

The current scale of operations is significantly reduced, although the needs continue to grow. In Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, figures show that an estimated 4.6 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity during the lean season.

“If this funding stops, how will these people survive? They can barely afford hospital treatment and food. I am extremely worried about their fate”, worries Dr. Kanai Nkeki Yahi. “We’re the only secondary health facility in the area, so we simply can’t turn patients away. No matter how stretched we are, we always find a way to make room — even if it means creating extra bed space to accommodate everyone.”

Chronic food insecurity and contaminated water remain a very common source of illness, disproportionately affecting children under the age of five who bear the heaviest burden. In Sokoto, 2.8 million children under the age of five, representing 70% of that age group, are affected by acute malnutrition. “I had five children. Two of them started vomiting and complaining of stomach pain”, recalls Zuwaira Shehu, a 25-year-old mother from a remote village in Sokoto State. “They died in the hospital. Another one died when we returned home. In less than a month, another two died”. Action Against Hunger, one of the few organizations operating in the area, constructed a borehole and supported the local clinic where malnutrition cases are treated free of charge. A few years later, Zuwaira, now a mother of two, brought her daughter to the clinic with symptoms strikingly similar to those she had seen before. The child received immediate care and was discharged just a few days later. “After two days, she opened her eyes,” Zuwaira recalls. “Before that, her eyes were shut — she looked so weak, like she had no weight at all.”  

Invisible Hardships of Displaced Families

Over the past 15 years, many families in Borno State have endured one — and sometimes multiple — displacements, often accompanied by the loss of loved ones, livelihoods, and homes. Today, more than 1.7 million displaced people live in both formal and informal camps across the state. Many families were forced to flee their villages following violent attacks by armed groups. Now, tens of thousands face heightened health and nutrition risks as insecurity intensifies and humanitarian funding is again drastically reduced.

Bulus Njeduwa, Emergency Coordinator at Action Against Hunger, has witnessed the changes in the Ngomari Kare Kli host community over the past three years. In this area, water, sanitation facilities, shelter, and food supplies are among the critical needs for people. “Some people are from here, but most of them settled down as a result of displacement from various areas like Konduga and Bama”, explains Mr. Njeduwa. “The tank station was already installed, and we drilled another fresh borehole and constructed a collection point with solar lights so that people can fetch water at night.” A system to collect wastewater was also put in place, allowing people to water their kitchen gardens. 

For Abubakar Bulama Modu, who grew up in the community, the improvements are already visible despite the ongoing economic difficulties. “Before, we had to walk 4 kilometers just to fetch water. Now, we have boreholes,” he says. “In the meantime, a lot has happened — floods, strong winds, which destroyed the shelters of many displaced families.” A few years ago, the Ngomari Kare Kli community was home to around 2,000 displaced persons. Over time, some have left in search of better opportunities, driven by the lack of employment and income. 

Women’s voices often go unheard, yet they carry the weight of these painful experiences in silence, bearing emotional scars behind closed doors. Many continue to struggle with trauma and mental health distress, without access to the support they need. This is the story of Balu Bukar, a young mother who was fleeing the violence that struck her native Mafa Ajeri village. “I carried one child on my head and the other on my back — and one of them died,” Balu recalls. “I was so exhausted that I had to cover the body with a cloth and leave it by the roadside.” Three days later, she lost her second child to extreme exhaustion and dehydration. The pain and guilt of not being able to save her children haunt her every day, even as she tries to rebuild her life in a new place.

Rebuilding with Dignity: Economic Support for Resilience

Displacement disrupts every aspect of people’s lives. The crisis also affects host communities, who already depend on limited economic resources and face mounting pressure to meet both their own needs and those of the displaced populations they support. 

“Fifteen years ago, Borno was known for its agriculture, extending all the way to Lake Chad,” explains Emmanuel Pmabi, Field Coordinator for Action Against Hunger in Borno, where he grew up. “However, the violence impacted this place in various ways — affecting people’s means of livelihood, cutting down the socio-economic activities that provided income for survival, and harming their health and nutrition.” 

Economic opportunities are extremely limited, and widespread unemployment continues to have a significant impact on families. In the Ngomari Kare Kli community, children are out of school, and both host and displaced families are unable to access their farmlands due to ongoing insecurity and the threat of kidnappings. In 2023, several people working in the fields were killed, spreading fear throughout the community. As a result, many are now too afraid to return to their land, even as the lean season approaches, which is the best time for cultivation. 

Beyond the loss of material assets, such as homes and livelihoods, it sweeps away dreams and plans in an instant. “If you look back in history, Borno was populated by a Kanuri-speaking population, for whom, culturally, it was difficult to go and beg. Today, it has become one of the coping mechanisms.”, says Mr. Pmabi.

When families have no stable source of income, they are often forced to reduce the quantity and quality of their food, skip meals, or prioritize immediate survival over long-term health. This leads to undernutrition, especially among children and pregnant women. Therefore, supporting people to develop sustainable sources of income not only helps them meet their basic needs but also builds resilience, reduces dependence on emergency aid, and prevents them from slipping back into malnutrition and poor health. In Nigeria, Action Against Hunger provides income-generating activities to the most needy and vulnerable groups of people. In 2024, more than 33,078 individuals received support and launched their own business ideas and economic activities.  

In Sokoto, Zuwaira is fortunate to have her small plot of land within the village. She will receive agricultural training from Action Against Hunger teams to cultivate crops for her family’s consumption. In Borno, Abdulahi received training in egg hatching and poultry farming — skills that have enabled him to launch his own business, which is now thriving and providing a stable source of income for his family. They are among many individuals who do not give up on their plans and are not afraid to start from scratch. 

The decline in global humanitarian funding is undermining the collective efforts of humanitarian actors, who continue to stand alongside the most vulnerable communities. Despite ongoing challenges, Action Against Hunger continues to implement its programs in Borno, Yobe, and Sokoto States, where the needs are most critical. 

In 2024, Action Against Hunger reached 1,776,560 individuals in Nigeria through food security initiatives, water, sanitation, and hygiene programs, as well as health and nutrition services. The teams also provide mental health support and emergency relief. 

These programs are made possible through the generous support of multiple donors, including the European Union, ECHO, the French Government, AFD, GAC, GFFO, SIDA, FCDO, and USAID.