The crisis is being exacerbated by the expected early arrival of Lean station – the period between the harvests in which hunger hits the peak. Chronic hunger is being motivated by conflicts, displacement, economic instability and serious climate shocks, WFP He said, with devastating floods in 2024, affecting more than six million people in West Africa.
Financing deficits will force the agency to suspend food assistance by two million crises affected by Sudanese refugees at Chad, Mali refugees in Mauritania, internally displaced people (IDPS) and insecure families of vulnerable foods in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.
“With millions of waiting to face hunger emergency levels at the peak of the lean station, The world must intensify support to prevent this situation from being out of control”Said Margot Van der Velden, WFP regional director for West Africa.
UN Food Agency Urgently requires US $ 620 million to ensure continuous support For people affected by crises throughout Sahel and Nigeria over the next six months.
Acute food insecurity
One estimated 52.7 million women, men and children They are designed to try acute hunger between June and August 2025, according to the latest projected regional food security analysis.
Despite the increasing needs in West and Central Africa, the proportion of the population that faces extreme hunger is Designed to increase by more than 20 % until June 2025.
A subfinated region
The needs are chronically sub -financed. As a result, WFP points out that it is being forced to regularly make the difficult decision to cut feed, Effectively taking from the hungry to feed the hungry.
In Chad, the referee of refugees coming from Sudan is putting huge pressure on already limited resources, feeding tension and competition between communities.
This is particularly worrying when the country enters its sixth consecutive year of severe food insecurity in 2025, with more than 200 % increase since 2020.
In neighboring Nigeria, the prolonged humanitarian crisis, worsened for high inflation and climate -related shocks, is endangering the lives of children, pregnant women and entire communities.
From June to August to August, 33.1 million Nigerians are expected to face severe food scarcity.
A call to action
PAM is working with national governments to evaluate and adapt their response to ensure that urgent assistance reaches the most vulnerable, while requiring secure and no obstacles to families affected by crises.
“We need to act now to allow WFP to reach the needy with timely support. Inaction will have serious consequences for the region and beyond, as Food security is national securityLike this,” Van der Velden warned.
