LAGOS, Nigeria — The United Nations announced on Friday, May 22, 2026, that approximately 35 million people in Nigeria face the risk of acute hunger between June and August.
The UN Humanitarian Country Team based in New York City, United States, released the details regarding the approaching lean season. Okay News reports that the UN Humanitarian Country Team said, “Nearly one in seven people, that is 35 million people nationwide in Nigeria, are likely to face acute food insecurity during this year’s lean season, which runs from June to August,”
The organization said the latest data makes the country one of the largest hunger crises globally, with the burden falling overwhelmingly in the northern part of the nation. The organization said, “If assistance is further delayed, millions of families will be forced to reduce meals further, sell assets, or withdraw their children from school with the long-term impact that we know it has,”
An estimated 6.4 million children are likely to be acutely malnourished this year across North-west Nigeria and North-east Nigeria. The organization said, “Our partners and we are appealing for urgent funding to scale up life-saving assistance,”
The response operations run under the 516 million dollars Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for the year 2026, which remains just over 40 per cent funded.
Records indicate that 215 million dollars out of the 516 million dollars total required budget has been received as of May 2026.
