According to a recent United Nations (UN) report, acute food insecurity is projected to significantly worsen in 18 hunger hotspots, including Nigeria.
The report highlights the urgent need for assistance to prevent famine in Gaza and Sudan and address escalating hunger crises in Haiti, Mali, and South Sudan.
The report stresses the ongoing effects of El Nio and the looming risk of La Nia, which could trigger extreme climate events that disrupt lives and livelihoods.
It states: Since the previous edition of the Hunger Hotspots report (October 2023), the Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zambia have joined Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia, and Zimbabwe in the list of hunger hotspots, where acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate further during the outlook period.
Many hotspots face worsening hunger crises due to the compounded effects of conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks, pushing vulnerable households deeper into food crises.
The report also warns that 2023 could be the first year since 2010 to see a decrease in humanitarian funding compared to the previous year, despite it being the second-highest funding ever for humanitarian assistance.
The report further notes that the ongoing conflict in Palestine is likely to exacerbate the already severe levels of acute hunger, with starvation and death occurring alongside an unprecedented death toll, widespread destruction, and the displacement of nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip.
