The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has raised concerns about a deepening food crisis in Nigeria’s northeast, revealing that more than 3.7 million people across the conflict-affected region are currently grappling with food scarcity.
Aliyu Dawobe, who serves as the ICRC’s spokesperson, disclosed this development in a press statement shared on Monday in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He explained that a significant number of those facing hunger were once self-reliant farmers who lost access to their lands due to the protracted violence in the region.
The statement detailed how the ongoing conflict has displaced thousands of families, hindered access to arable land, and disrupted traditional food supply networks, leaving communities extremely vulnerable.
As the annual lean season takes hold, households are coming under growing pressure, said Diana Japaridze, Head of ICRC’s Maiduguri sub-delegation.
“This is the period when families must begin buying food, but many conflict-affected households simply can’t afford it.
They’re forced to drastically limit their intake,” she said.
She warned that the lack of food is driving a spike in malnutrition, especially among children under five, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
“In response, the ICRC is supporting malnutrition stabilisation centres and offering community education programmes to help families care for vulnerable children.”
To combat the structural roots of food insecurity, the ICRC has introduced an agricultural support project designed to strengthen resilience and boost local food production. The program spans both rainy and dry seasons.
“The initiative supports both rainy and dry season farming and targets thousands of farming households.
This year alone, more than 21,000 farming households have received seeds adapted to local conditions, along with planting tools to ease labour and improve efficiency,” Japaridze added.
As part of the aid, farmers received varieties of staple and vegetable seeds including rice, maize, tomato, and okra — aimed at enhancing food variety and nutritional quality in meals.
Additionally, training in sustainable agriculture is being provided to ensure that farmers continue to thrive independently even after ICRC’s direct intervention ends.
“At a systemic level, and in collaboration with the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), we recently repaired a vital water source to ensure continuous access for the council’s seed testing and greenhouse facilities,” Japaridze said.
Despite these interventions, she acknowledged that the lean season still poses a significant hardship for many farming families who are unable to meet their food needs.
Over 3.7 million battling food crisis in northeast Nigeria – ICRC
