WFP Warns 55 Million People in West and Central Africa Face Crisis Hunger in 2026 Without Urgent Funding

“Vital humanitarian aid is a transformative and stabilising force in volatile contexts,” said Sarah Longford, WFP Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

 

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that West and Central Africa is heading into another devastating hunger crisis, with 55 million people expected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse during the June–August 2026 lean season, unless urgent funding and action are mobilised.

According to the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis—the regional equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)—over 13 million children are projected to suffer from malnutrition in 2026, while more than three million people will face emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4) this year—more than double the number recorded in 2020.

Four countries—Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger—account for 77 per cent of the region’s food-insecure population. Alarmingly, 15,000 people in Nigeria’s Borno State are at risk of catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5) for the first time in nearly a decade.

Aid Cuts Deepen a Growing Crisis

“Vital humanitarian aid is a transformative and stabilising force in volatile contexts,” said Sarah Longford, WFP Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa.“The reduced funding we saw in 2025 has deepened hunger and malnutrition across the region. As needs outpace funding, so too does the risk of young people falling into desperation—fueling further unrest, displacement and conflict.”

While conflict, displacement and economic shocks have long driven hunger in the region, WFP warns that reductions in humanitarian assistance are now pushing communities beyond their ability to cope.

Reduced Rations, Rising Hunger

Evidence from recent operations underscores the consequences of funding shortfalls:

• In Mali, areas receiving reduced food rations experienced a 64 per cent surge in acute hunger (IPC Phase 3+) since 2023

• Communities that received full rations saw a 34 per cent decrease in acute hunger

• Ongoing insecurity has disrupted food supply routes, leaving 1.5 million vulnerable Malians facing crisis-level hunger

In Nigeria, funding gaps last year forced WFP to scale back nutrition programmes, affecting over 300,000 children. Since then, malnutrition levels in several northern states have deteriorated from “serious” to “critical.”

Assistance at Risk of Collapse

Without immediate funding:

• More than 500,000 people in Cameroon risk being cut off from life-saving assistance in the coming weeks

• In Nigeria, WFP will reach only 72,000 people in February, down from 1.3 million supported during the 2025 lean season

What Works When Funding Is Available

WFP stressed that adequately funded interventions deliver proven results. In the Sahel, land restoration programmes generate up to USD 30 for every dollar invested. Since 2018, WFP and communities have rehabilitated 300,000 hectares of farmland across five countries, supporting over four million people in 3,400 villages.

Additional programmes have strengthened:

• School meals and child nutrition

• Climate-resilient infrastructure

• Livelihoods and local economies

• Seasonal and anticipatory assistance to withstand shocks

“To break the cycle of hunger for future generations, we need a paradigm shift in 2026,” Longford said.“Governments and partners must increase investment in preparedness, anticipatory action and resilience-building to empower communities.”

Urgent Funding Appeal

WFP urgently requires more than $453 million over the next six months to sustain life-saving humanitarian operations across West and Central Africa.

Without swift action, the agency warns, the region risks entering one of its most severe hunger crises in years, with devastating consequences for children, stability and long-term development.