Humanitarian Situation In North-East Nigeria - OCHA
/
3:15
/
MP4
/
240 MB

Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA

OCHA Press conference on Nigeria 28 June 2023

North-eastern Nigeria: Half a million people one step away from famine

With half a million people one step away from famine in north-eastern Nigeria, UN humanitarians are sounding the alarm bell on Wednesday at a briefing at the United Nations in Geneva asking for urgently needed funding to provide life-saving operations.

“The number of people facing severe hunger in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, the three key areas where we are working as a humanitarian community, the number of people facing severe hunger is 4.3 million, up from 4.1 million last year. More than half a million people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, which is one step away from famine,” said the UN’s top humanitarian official in the country, Matthias Schmale.

As a result of the alarming food security and nutrition crisis in the country, an estimated 6 million people need immediate food assistance.

Particularly staggering are the numbers of children affected by this crisis. 700,000 children under the age of five years are at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, a number which has doubled compared to last year.

“What we are talking about in the north-east is 700,000 children and this by itself, it’s really alarming,” said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria. “It is those children that are very close of dying, who really need immediate therapeutical response in health facilities. But we also have moderate, acute malnutrition and stunted children that require complementary feeding.”

The humanitarian coordinator also pointed out that the crisis is disproportionately affecting women and girls who face increased risk of violence, including abduction, rape and sexual abuse. Out of 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDP), over the half are female.

“This crisis is primarily the result of years of protracted conflict”, said Mr. Schmale. “We are in the 13th year of a non-international armed conflict and the insecurity that comes with the conflict that continues to prevent many people from farming or earning their own income.” He added that “what we see more and more is illegal vehicle checkpoints by non-state armed actors and improvised explosive device attacks. That is what is making road movement risky and again, of course, is affecting severely the population.”

High food and fuel prices also have increased the cost of humanitarian operations. Due to security concerns, the north-eastern part of Nigeria can only be accessed by helicopter.

“Deep trenches circling these villages, and the IDPs live inside the trenches. They can't go outside the trenches”, explained David Stevenson, director for the World Food Programme in Nigeria. “The government policy, the military policy, the police policy agrees that it's not safe for them to go outside those trenches. So, when we fly in, the farmers’ fields are empty. We look out the window, there's no farmers there. And yet it's a farming area. So, they're dependent on food assistance for two reasons, because they're in camps and they're hungry.”

Climate change also had a significant impact on the country’s development.

“Nigeria is one of the countries across the Sahel that's on the frontline of the climate crisis,” said Mr. Schmale. “Last year we saw the worst floods in ten years in Nigeria, not just the north-east, which expected more than 4.4 million people across the country.”

Overall, the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for north-east Nigeria requesting US$1.3 billion dollars is only 25 per cent funded (336.7 million) at mid-year.

-ends-

  1. Exterior medium shot: UN Palais with flags
  2. Wide shot: speaker and moderator behind podium at the press conference, screens with speaker on both sides of the podium
  3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Matthias Schmale, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria: “The number of people facing severe hunger in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, the three key ones where we are working as a humanitarian community, the number of people facing severe hunger is 4.3 million, up from 4.1 million last year. More than half a million people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, which is one step away from famine.”
  4. Wide shot: speakers and moderator at podium, screen with speaker, attendee in the foreground taking notes
  5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Country Representative, Nigeria: “It is those children that are very close of dying, who really need immediate therapeutical response in health facilities. But we also have moderate, acute malnutrition and stunted children that require complementary feeding.”
  6. Medium shot: speakers at podium
  7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Country Representative, Nigeria: “The big numbers of acute, severe acute malnutrition. What we are talking about in the Northeast is 700,000 children and this by itself, it’s really alarming.”
  8. Medium shot: speaker at podium, attendee’s laptop in the foreground
  9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Matthias Schmale, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria: “This crisis is primarily the result of years of protracted conflict. We are in the 13th year of a non-international armed conflict and the insecurity that comes with the conflict that continues to prevent many people from farming or earning their own income.”
  10. Close shot: attendee at the press conference
  11. SOUNDBITE (English) – Matthias Schmale, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria: “What we see more and more is illegal vehicle checkpoints by non-state armed actors and improvised explosive device attacks. That is what is making road movement risky and again, of course, is affecting severely the population.”
  12. Medium shot: speakers and moderator at podium, moderator in the foreground
  13. SOUNDBITE (English) – David Stevenson, World Food Programme Country Director, Nigeria: “Deep trenches circling these villages. And the IDPs live inside the trenches. They can't go outside the trenches. The government policy, the military policy, the police policy agrees that it's not safe for them to go outside those trenches. So, when we fly in, the farmers’ fields are empty. Look out the window, there's no farmers there. And yet it's a farming area. So, they're dependent on food assistance for two reasons, because they're in camps and they're hungry.”
  14. Close shot: attendee taking notes at the press conference
  15. SOUNDBITE (English) – Matthias Schmale, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria: “Nigeria is one of the countries across the Sahel that's on the frontline of the climate crisis. Last year we saw the worst floods in ten years in Nigeria, not just the north-east, which expected more than 4.4 million people across the country.”
  16. Wide shot: speakers and moderator at podium, screen with speaker, attendee and moderator in the foreground
  17. Close shot: attendee taking notes
  18. Close shot: attendee taking a picture

Similar Stories

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO ENG FRA

Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians

Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OCHA , UNHCR , UNICEF , UNOG , WHO , IPU

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, and the International Parliamentary Union.

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025 ENG FRA

Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end”

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end” ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC ENG FRA

Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital 

UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 03 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNHCR , UNICEF , UNIS , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 03 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

HRC 60 Press conference: Human Rights situation in the Central African Republic - 02 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | HRC , OHCHR

HRC 60 Press conference: Human Rights situation in the Central African Republic - 02 October 2025 ENG FRA

Report of the Independent Expert on Human Rights situation in the Central African Republic.

 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti

2

1

2

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire

UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNECE , WHO , OCHA , UNHCR , UNICEF

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the UN Refugee Agency), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children Fund, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the World Health Organization.

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO ENG FRA

The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 26 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | WHO , FAO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 26 September 2025 ENG FRA

Michele Zaccheo, Chief of the Radio, TV and Webcast Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization.