The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has sounded the alarm over worsening food insecurity in conflict-affected areas of northeast Nigeria, where more than 3.7 million people are struggling to access sufficient food.
Aliyu Dawobe, Public Relations Officer of the ICRC, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
He explained that many of those impacted were once farmers who had sustained their communities but have since been displaced by years of conflict.
According to the statement, persistent violence has forced families from their homes, restricted access to farmlands, and severely disrupted local food production systems.
Diana Japaridze, Head of the ICRC office in Maiduguri, highlighted the increasing pressure on households as the lean season commenced and food stocks began to deplete.
“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.
Japaridze added that the deepening food insecurity is also contributing to rising malnutrition rates, especially among children under five as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Read Also: NAFDAC Reaffirms Commitment to Safe Drug Market
In response, the ICRC is supporting malnutrition stabilisation centres and running community education programmes aimed at helping families care for vulnerable children.
To address the root causes of food insecurity and promote long-term resilience, the ICRC has launched an agricultural assistance programme. The initiative supports both rainy and dry season farming, targeting thousands of farming households.
“This year alone, over 21,000 farming households have received seeds adapted to local conditions, along with planting tools to ease labour and improve efficiency,” she said.
The support includes a mix of field crops and vegetables such as rice, maize, tomato, and okra, all intended to improve dietary diversity and nutritional value.
Japaridze added that farmers are also being trained in sustainable farming practices to ensure continuity beyond the ICRC’s intervention.
“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,” she noted.
Despite these interventions, Japaridze warned that the lean season remains a critical challenge, as many farmers are still unable to produce enough to sustain their families.
Community voices from the affected areas underscored the urgency of the situation.
Modu Umar, a community leader in Dikwa, said, “Right now, we face severe food shortages. Some families walk long distances daily just to collect and sell firewood to afford food. Farming is the only real solution.”
Churi Ibrahim, a 70-year-old farmer from Gajibo, spoke on the continuing security risks:
“Some people trek three hours just to reach their farms. By the time you get there, you’re exhausted, and returning home takes even longer.”
Despite the ongoing fears and hardship, local farmers remain resilient and determined.
Bintu Konto, a mother of five, remarked:
“Even when they’re afraid, they still go. If we don’t farm during the rainy season, we’ll have nothing to eat.”