BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR, AUGUST 21, 2025 | 12:51 PM

Borno State is facing a worsening malnutrition crisis in 2025, with humanitarian agencies warning of a sharp rise in child hunger following the suspension of food aid by the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).

Since January, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has treated more than 6,000 severely malnourished children in its Maiduguri nutrition center, with up to 400 new admissions weekly.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that over 1 million children in the North-East may face severe acute malnutrition this year, nearly double the number recorded in 2024, with Borno State among the hardest-hit.

In Abuja, Tanko Sununu, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, said more than 300,000 children in the North-East are at risk following WFP’s aid suspension.

He stressed that Borno and Yobe will be most affected as over 150 WFP-supported nutrition clinics are set to close, cutting off life-saving services for infants and toddlers.

'Just a few days ago, the World Food Programme suspended some of its activities, which had supported more than 1.2 million Nigerians with emergency transfers in the North-East,' Sununu said.

'This leaves over 300,000 children at risk of malnutrition, while more than 200,000 are already receiving treatment.'

Humanitarian groups fear that without immediate donor support, Borno will see malnutrition levels rise further.

MSF has already scaled up its operations, but doctors warn that funding cuts and clinic closures could push thousands of children beyond the brink.

Meanwhile, the federal government says it is expanding interventions under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

Through the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), smallholder farmers, many of them displaced in Borno, are receiving interest-free loans of N300,000 to restore livelihoods.

Additionally, N419 billion in conditional cash transfers has reached 5.9 million households nationwide, including many in Borno.

Despite these measures, aid officials insist that the gap left by WFP’s withdrawal cannot be filled quickly.

The World Food Programme itself has warned that a record 31 million Nigerians are now facing acute hunger, underscoring the urgent need for international assistance.

For Borno, the challenge is clear: without emergency nutrition support, thousands of vulnerable children risk being lost to a preventable crisis.