ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
A staggering 15.6 million children are at risk of severe hunger, as Nigeria braces for its annual lean season starting in June, marking a 25% increase from the previous year, Save the Children warned on Tuesday.
This alarming number, highlighted in a recent analysis by the NGO, points to a deepening food insecurity crisis exacerbated by increasing insecurity, ongoing conflict, and soaring food prices.
The analysis, based on data from the Cadre Harmonisé - regional framework assessing food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel and West Africa - revealed that nearly 32 million people in Nigeria could face crisis levels of hunger between June and August, during the annual lean season, without immediate food and cash assistance. This figure notably includes 15.6 million children, signalling a worrisome situation that has worsened significantly over the last year.
Every year, countries in the Sahel region experience a lean season from May to August, a challenging period between harvests characterised by low household food stocks and reduced pasture for livestock, according to the Food Security Cluster. During this time, households often rely on various coping strategies to meet their food needs until the next harvest.
The escalation in hunger is attributed to a disturbing increase in violent incidents, including killings, attacks, and kidnappings by non-state armed groups and bandits, particularly in the north of Nigeria. These groups have severely impacted agricultural activities, disrupting food production and local markets, and forcing farmers to abandon their lands. The Association of Nigerian Farmers reported that at least 165 farmers have been killed so far this year, with the majority of these incidents occurring in Benue, a region increasingly recognised by the UN as a hotspot for conflicts between farmers and herders.
Duncan Harvey, Save the Children's Country Director for Nigeria, expressed grave concerns about the worsening hunger crisis.
"Children in Nigeria – who make up one of the largest child populations in the world - have already endured far too much, as millions face conflict, violence and exploitation. This year one in six children will go hungry – an increase from last year", he said in a statement, noting that that without significant intervention, armed groups would continue to perpetrate brutal attacks, further driving up food prices and pushing more families into starvation.