UN: Nigeria Could See World’s Largest Hunger Crisis This Summer

With fighting and soaring prices squeezing household budgets, Nigeria is on the brink of experiencing one of the globe’s most severe hunger emergencies this summer, the United Nations reported this week. Roughly one in seven Nigerians—about 35 million people—may struggle to find enough to eat from June through August if current shortfalls persist. The UN’s humanitarian coordination office says the funding gap is now critical. Only $215 million of the $516 million appeal has been met, forcing relief teams to scale back operations at the very moment needs are peaking. Without fresh resources, families will resort to desperate measures such as selling livestock, reducing portions or withdrawing children from classes. The crisis is compounded by a projected spike in severe child malnutrition, with 6.4 million youngsters expected to suffer life-threatening wasting. Secretary-General António Guterres linked the emergency to wider regional turmoil, calling for immediate cease-fires in Sudan and eastern Congo and renewed diplomatic efforts to keep key maritime routes open.