News Rendezvous

Abuja, Nigeria — January 24, 2025

The United Nations has called for an urgent $910 million to provide life-saving aid to 3.6 million people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states in north-east Nigeria. These states are grappling with a deepening humanitarian crisis fueled by conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability, compounded by floods, disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
Launching the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) in Abuja, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall emphasised the worsening situation, noting that 7.8 million people in the region require urgent assistance. The HNRP aims to streamline aid delivery, enhance disaster preparedness, and support local frontline responders.
The Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, also highlighted the growing challenges in north-west and north-central Nigeria, calling for integrated humanitarian and development efforts to ensure sustainable solutions. “We are committed to timely, effective responses that align with national priorities,” he said.
Governors of the BAY states—Professor Babagana Zulum (Borno), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), pledged to sustain collaboration with the UN and partners. They stressed the need for immediate funding to prevent disaster escalation, particularly as Nigeria braces for a lean season where food insecurity will threaten 33 million people, including 5.1 million in the BAY states.
In 2024, the humanitarian response reached only 57% of its funding target, leaving critical gaps in food assistance, malnutrition treatment, and healthcare. The lean season response supported 1.65 million women and children with nutrition services and treated 400,000 children with severe acute malnutrition. However, more funding is urgently needed to scale these efforts.
The UN and Nigerian authorities are urging global donors to act swiftly, warning that delays could deepen the crisis and jeopardize millions of lives. With economic instability and declining global aid, local partnerships and efficient aid delivery are crucial to averting a humanitarian disaster.
This story brings attention to the scale of the crisis and the urgent need for international support.