The United Nations has predicted that close to 5.1 million people in Northeast Nigeria risk being without food in the coming lean season from June to August 2021. 

A report published on the website of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in December 2020 said the impending famine would follow a similar pattern which befell Borno in 2016 and 2017.

The UN agency identified Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe as states to be most affected.

It said the number of people in need of urgent assistance in the region rose from 7.9 million at the beginning of 2020 to 10.6 million since the onset of COVID-19.

The pandemic broke out in some IDP camps in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, complicating aid operations but workers were able to fashion suitable responses, including setting up hand washing stations and quarantine shelter, the report noted.

Over 3.6 million people have reportedly been reached with life-saving assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states since the beginning of the year.

The UN said it has allocated $15 million for urgent food aid from its Central Emergency Fund. 

The Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator also called for further support from international donors to upscale the aid services.

Nigeria is facing a second wave of COVID-19, with states of the federation recording surges in new cases.

In the previous wave, hunger was intensified in Nigeria as several people lost their jobs, businesses collapsed, farmers and traders were unable to sell their goods as usual.

The country recently experienced the looting of hoarded food palliatives, which experts say is a result of hunger in the land.