The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator (UNHC) and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction (FMHAPR) have said that over 10 million children under five years in Nigeria are acutely malnourished, while 3.5 million are severely malnourished.
The UNHC and FMHAPR disclosed this in a joint communique issued after the commemoration of World Humanitarian Day 2025 in Abuja on August 18.
The theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day celebration is #ActForHumanity. It highlights a powerful message: if we cannot protect those who help save lives, uphold international humanitarian law, and secure funding for life-saving assistance, we risk losing the essence of our shared humanity.
The UNHC and FMHAPR noted with concern the increasing humanitarian needs in Nigeria, with food security and malnutrition as an unfolding disaster. They said that pipelines for food and nutrition that are lifelines for millions of people, especially children under the age of five, are severely disrupted if not completely depleted. According to them, millions of children are at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition.
The global agency and the ministry noted that the humanitarian community is faced with unprecedented challenges globally. According to them, international humanitarian law is treated with disdain while multilaterism has been replaced with short-term self-interest. To address these issues, they called for urgent reform of the humanitarian system, building on the lessons learned over the last six decades, and the incredible know-how and experience of humanitarian partners, local and international.
