The Mercy Helpline Initiative (MHI) is deeply saddened and outraged by the latest United Nations report confirming that Africa has overtaken Asia as the continent with the highest number of people facing hunger, with an estimated 309 million Africans affected—representing 20% of the continent’s population .
This is not just a statistic. This is a disgrace to the African race and a profound failure of leadership across the continent. For Nigeria, the situation is even more alarming. According to the UN World Food Programme, 36.2 million Nigerians now face acute food insecurity, with 17 million people across nine northern states experiencing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of hunger . In Borno State alone, over 10,000 people have entered catastrophic hunger conditions, one step away from famine . The situation is projected to worsen during the ongoing lean season, with 34.7 million Nigerians expected to face crisis-level hunger between June and August 2026—the highest number in a single country globally .
Our children are paying the heaviest price. More than 5.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including 1.8 million with severe acute malnutrition—a condition fatal without treatment . In northwest Nigeria, health workers report a surge in children relapsing into malnutrition as families lose income due to fuel price hikes triggered by the Middle East conflict . “Children are paying the price,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell .
The drivers are clear: conflict and insecurity displacing farmers from their lands, climate shocks, soaring food inflation averaging 38.5% in 2024, and the removal of fuel subsidies pushing food beyond the reach of millions . Yet, humanitarian funding is shrinking. WFP can now only support 740,000 of the 6.2 million food-insecure people in northeast Nigeria—a sharp decline from the 1.3 million supported in 2025 . This leaves 5.5 million people without lifesaving food and nutrition assistance .
MHI calls on the Federal Government, state governments, and Nigerian philanthropists to act with urgency and intentionality:
1. Prioritize immediate food assistance to reach the 5.5 million people currently abandoned
2. Invest in agricultural support for smallholder farmers to boost local food production—currently only 3.5% of households receive agricultural livelihood support
3. Secure agricultural corridors from banditry and insurgency so farmers can access their lands
4. Launch targeted nutrition programmes for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under five, as proposed by experts
5. Support the National Community Food Bank Programme and ensure it reaches the most vulnerable
Africa’s children deserve better. The less privileged among us deserve a life that can be termed relevant to all. Hunger is not inevitable—it is a failure of will and action. MHI stands ready to partner with all stakeholders to give relevance to the lives of millions facing this crisis.
Every life matters. Every child deserves to eat. Every Nigerian deserves relevance.
Signed
Samuel Solomon
Executive Director
Mercy Helpline Initiative (MHI)
For media inquiries, please contact:
Mercy Helpline Initiative (MHI)
📞 +234 806 127 3237
📧 mercyhelplineinitiative@gmail.com
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