32 million Nigerians to face severe hunger by June 2024 — Report

At least 32 million Nigerians are likely to face catastrophic, famine-like conditions between June and August if no urgent action is taken, according to the latest analysis of Cadre Harmonisé (CH) report, published by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) & more than a dozen international organisations working in the region.

According to the report, the total number of people across West and Central Africa to face food insecurity during the period also referred to as the lean season stands at a staggering 52 million- about 12% of the analysed population.

“Looking ahead, the projected outlook for the period June-August 2024 appears even more severe: nearly 52 million people across the 17 analysed countries are anticipated to face phases 3 to 5 during the lean season of June-August. This translates to 12% of the analyzed population struggling to meet their basic food and nutrition requirements.

“These countries include Mauritania (656 652, 14%), Burkina Faso (2 734 196, 12%), Niger (3 436,892, 13%), Chad (3,364,453, 20%), Sierra Leone (1,569,895, 20%), and Nigeria (31,758,164, 16%),” the report revealed.

Furthermore, the report noted that food insecurity would be more severe in the northern states of Sokoto and Zamfara where the IPC analysis described the situation as critical, with over 15% of children experiencing acute malnutrition.

The IRC attributed the cause of the severity of food insecurity across the Sahelian region to insecurity, climate change, and worsening macroeconomic conditions, especially on the inflationary front.

In January 2024, the average inflation rate in the region stood at 21%- an increase from 18% recorded in the same period of 2023. Worse still are countries like Sierra Leone which have seen inflation levels rise to 54%.