Attachments
Key messages
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In 2017, FAO supported over 1.8 million people through the provision of seeds, fertilizers and livestock and cash-based assistance in northeastern Nigeria’s three most affected States - Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
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In December 2017, FAO reached 90 percent of identified beneficiaries for the dry season programme that aims to boost the food production capacity of over 117 000 farming households (760 000 people), thereby enhancing food security, nutrition and income generation.
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34 percent of households in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States are food insecure (Emergency Food Security Assessment, December 2017) - a 10 percent decrease compared with the assessment in March 2017. Displaced and women-headed households are among the most food-insecure households.
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Clashes between nomadic Fulani herders and farming communities have been on the rise in the northcentral and northeastern regions, including Adamawa State.
BACKGROUND
Boko Haram-related violence has had a devastating impact in northeastern Nigeria since 2013, and the security situation remains highly volatile. Insurgencies continue to be the main cause for displacement, with 1.57 million IDPs in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States (DTM, IOM, December 2017), of which the largest IDP population is in Borno (77 percent).
The risk of famine has thus far been averted in northeastern Nigeria owing to: (i) improved security conditions, allowing for families to engage in farming activities in locations that were previously not safe, in turn, improving markets and trading; (ii) the delivery of food aid and livelihood support to almost 3 million people every month (including 2 million per month with just food aid) since the start of the year; and (iii) favourable climatic conditions for farming.
Despite this positive trend, the food security situation is extremely fragile. If food and livelihood assistance is not maintained and increased in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, 3.7 million people are estimated to be at risk of critical food insecurity during the next lean season (June-August 2018), with about 12 536 people expected to be in famine-like situation.