A new report by Save the Children says about one in six (15.6 million) children in Nigeria are facing hunger in the lead-up to the lean season starting in June.

The number of hungry children is 25 per cent higher than the same period in 2023 and is likely the result of increasing insecurity, protracted conflict, banditry, and rising food prices in the West African country.

According to Save the Children’s analysis of figures released by the Cadre Harmonisé —a regional framework to identify food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel and West Africa—almost 32 million people in Nigeria, including 15.6 million children, will face crisis levels of hunger between June and August unless food and cash assistance are received.

While hunger typically peaks in Nigeria during these months between harvests, a quarter more children are set to go hungry compared to 2023, suggesting that over 3.4 million additional children – on average 9,000 a day—have been plunged into hunger in the last year.

Violent killings, attacks, and kidnappings by non-state armed groups and bandits in the country’s north have affected food production, disrupted local markets and caused farmers to flee their farms. According to the Association of Nigerian Farmers, so far this year, at least 165 farmers across Nigeria have been killed, mostly in Benue in the country’s north-central region, which the UN has said is an emerging hotspot for farmer and herder conflict.

“An already dire hunger situation in the country is gradually going from bad to worse as violence, insecurity, and rising prices combine to leave over 15 million children hungry in Nigeria,” said Duncan Harvey, Save the Children’s country director for Nigeria. “Hunger exists nationwide, but the situation in the north where violence is rife is particularly dire. In Borno, Yobe, Katsina and Zamfara, one in three children do not know where their next meal will come from.”

Mr Harvey added, “Children in Nigeria – who make up one of the largest child populations in the world – have already endured far too much, as millions face conflict, violence and exploitation. This year, one in six children will go hungry – an increase from last year.

“Urgent action must be taken to prioritise the needs of children to stop this devastating trend and protect innocent lives. If not, armed groups will continue to carry out brutal attacks, drive up food prices, and push more families to starvation.”

Under the IPC scale, Phase 3 is a crisis, Phase 4 is an emergency, and Phase 5 is used when the situation reaches famine-like conditions — the worst scenario categorised by starvation, death, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels.

At least 490,000 children – mostly in Borno and Katsina – are expected to face catastrophic levels of hunger (classed as IPC4). Hunger has risen sharply in Nigeria in recent years, up from about seven per cent of the population analysed by the UN in 2020 to 15 per cent currently.

In a statement seen on Tuesday, Save the Children governments at local, state and national levels to focus on transforming food production and distribution and to incentivise farmers to grow crops that are resistant to climate change.