Nigeria

In northeastern Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency has led to heightened levels of displacement and food insecurity. While humanitarian access is improving, most displaced families still rely on vulnerable host communities for basic needs, including food. This has put already impoverished host communities under extreme pressure, leading to increased exposure to food insecurity and malnutrition. Lootings and fear of attacks have prevented many farmers from working in their fields, leading to the loss of harvests and productive assets, and extremely reduced purchasing power.

Alarming food insecurity situation in northeastern Nigeria

The latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis (November 2019) indicates that there an estimated 2.6 million people face severe food insecurity in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, a reduction of nearly 300 000 people from June 2019. However, if no humanitarian support is provided, a projected 3.6 million people in the three states are likely to be severely food insecure from June to August 2020 - traditionally the lean season in the North-East.

Immediate support to affected populations

In order to respond to the immediate needs of the affected population, FAO has launched a full scale corporate surge response. A dedicated team of experts is based in Maiduguri and works closely with partners on the ground. FAO’s priority is to provide immediate livelihood support to vulnerable pastoralists and agropastoralists, including returnees, IDPs and host communities. The preparation of the next irrigated dry season is underway, and activities in support to weakened herd, such as veterinary care and animal feed, are urgently needed. FAO also actively participated in the assessments related to food security and livelihoods, and plays a critical role in the coordination of food security and livelihood partners.

Strengthening livelihood resilience

Building on its emergency programme, FAO will design a resilience approach aiming at strengthening resilience in northeastern Nigeria, as well as in other countries of the Lake Chad basin ‒ Cameroon, Chad and the Niger. This approach will support the 3 M system ‒  mobility, multi-activity, multiple use of lands ‒ that characterizes large parts of the agro-ecosystems in northeast Nigeria and beyond. Special emphasize will be put on women and youth, as well as on coordination with stakeholders involved in the resilience agenda in the Lake Chad region. This approach will contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.