$516 Million Appeal Launched for 2.5 Million Victims of Nigeria’s Insurgency Crisis in Northeast

The Nigerian government, in partnership with international aid agencies, has launched an urgent $516 million humanitarian appeal to assist 2.5 million people devastated by a 16-year insurgency in the country’s northeast.

The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan targets the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, where mass displacement, climate shocks, and economic collapse have created a severe crisis. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced the appeal, noting that women and children constitute 80% of those in immediate need.

UN Resident Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall warned of a dire funding shortage, stating, “Every day that funding gaps persist is a day that yet another malnourished child is pushed closer to preventable death.” The situation for children is critical, with one million in the region projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.

This year’s plan marks a strategic shift toward nationally led humanitarian action as international funding declines. Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard Doro, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to leading the response and aligning aid with long-term poverty reduction.

Funding shortfalls have already forced cuts to vital assistance. The 2025 response received only half the funding of the previous year, exacerbating needs. Compounding the crisis, ongoing attacks by non-state armed groups continue to kill civilians and restrict aid access, with approximately 4,000 civilian deaths recorded in the first eight months of 2025 alone.

Governors of the three affected states have pledged closer cooperation with aid groups to deliver immediate relief and work on durable solutions for displaced communities. The government and its partners are calling on donors for urgent support during what they describe as a critical transition period.