-
Current Requirements (US$)$926.5 million
Crisis overview and projections
Fourteen years into the conflict, the humanitarian crisis in north-east Nigeria remains profound and widespread. Across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, over 7.9 million people face severe protection concerns, extreme deprivation beyond their existing poverty levels, and daily threats to their well-being. While the number of people in need has decreased from previous years, the severity and complexity of the needs of affected people has not diminished. Vulnerabilities differ based on location, age, and displacement status, and the interplay of the main drivers of the crisis (conflict and insecurity, the impact of climate change, disease outbreaks, food insecurity and malnutrition, population movement and camp closures, economic factors, and historical underdevelopment). Children, particularly girls, remain the most affected, together with women they make up 83 per cent of those in need. Borno is the most affected state, with more than half the people in need —3.8 million. Adamawa and Yobe follow with 2.1 million and 1.7 million people in need, respectively.
The nature of conflict has changed in the last two years, with fewer attacks on military and government installations. Worryingly, attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups are increasing, particularly in Borno where 1,025 and 1,045 security events were recorded in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
As a result of the evolving security situation and other developments, the number of people in need may have improved in some sectors in Yobe and Adamawa states, resulting in opportunities for recovery and development efforts. In these two states, more can be done to support the Government in restoring basic services and shelter for conflict-affected people and driving solutions for displaced people. In Borno, specifically in Maiduguri, there are opportunities for identifying solutions for conflict-affected people, including the displaced, as part of urban development efforts, precarious humanitarian needs related to food insecurity and malnutrition remain high in other areas of the state. In Borno and areas in Yobe and Adamawa, conflict continues with severe protection concerns and limited opportunities for recovery and development. High numbers of people with severe needs require a continued emergency response at scale.
Bama, Nigeria
A woman carries her child, diagnosed with severely acute malnutrition and receiving treatment at a stabilization centre.
OCHA/Adededji AdemigbujiProtection concerns are pressing, especially for women and girls. They are threatened by violence, abduction, rape, gender-based violence, forced and child marriage, and other violations of their rights. Children are also at risk of forced recruitment into armed groups when unaccompanied and separated from families, especially when they were formerly associated with armed groups. Women and girls still lack adequate protection, access to justice, and access to services.
Operational challenges persist. In Borno State, for instance, all primary supply routes are insecure for civilians, humanitarian workers, and supplies. Partners are still unable to deliver outside major population centres due to insecurity. Though some areas of Adamawa and Yobe states have witnessed improved security, aid organisations are still grappling with significant threats.
The persistent conflict and insecurity have severed people from their primary livelihoods, notably agricultural activities. Those who venture outside the protective trenches surrounding the population centres in many parts of Borno are at risk of being killed, maimed, kidnapped or subjected to sexual and gender-based violence (GBV). This has led to severe food insecurity across north-east Nigeria. Females, in their quest for survival, are often pushed towards negative coping mechanisms such as sex work. Young boys, in their desperation, become easy targets for recruitment by non-state militant groups.
General Hospital IDP site in Bama, Borno State, Nigeria
Girls collect water.
OCHA/Adededji AdemigbujiHumanitarian funding for Nigeria is predicted to decline significantly in 2024. This reality means that the strategy for 2024-2025 is envisaging a shift to better targeted, prioritized assistance with a focus on core humanitarian activities.
This includes:
- Improving cost efficiency in terms of how aid is delivered, where possible, including a focus on multi-purpose cash.
- Localization, through both increasing the role of Government in terms of providing assistance and delivery through local organizations to reduce costs.
- Focusing on thematic and geographic plans to increase impact through more joined-up activities.
- Closer work with Government and development partners to address the root causes of vulnerability and disaster risk reduction and mitigation activities.
- Increasing interventions before crises escalate through anticipatory action to reduce suffering and for more cost-effective delivery.
Rann, Borno State, Nigeria
Amma Abbah's temporary shelter was destroyed in a severe rainstorm. Many other families seeking refuge from conflict also lost their shelters in the storm. Responding to the crisis, humanitarian partners are actively renovating affected shelters, providing a safe space for conflict-affected people to sleep.
OCHA/Adedeji AdemigbujiResponse priorities in 2024
In 2023, the humanitarian response in the BAY states has been challenged by severe funding and access limitations. Of the US$1.3 billion requested to assist 6 million people, only 37 per cent, or US$479.8 million, has been received at the end of October. This significant funding shortfall, compounded by persistent security challenges and movement restrictions, hampered delivery, leaving many acute needs unmet. Despite these challenges, 130 partners have reached 3.4 million people through humanitarian interventions.
In 2024, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) foresees an even tighter funding environment, predicting a sharp decline in humanitarian allocations for Nigeria. In the face of these anticipated financial challenges, humanitarian partners aim to support 4.4 million people, setting a funding target of about US$ 860 million which includes estimated funding requirements of US$45 million for anticipatory interventions to address in particular climate-related shocks such as flooding and cholera outbreaks.
North-East Nigeria: Strengthening Risk-Informed Humanitarian Planning for 2024
The operation in Nigeria aims to address recurring, predictable risks – such as climate-induced flooding – more proactively rather than reacting after humanitarian disasters strike. Based on solid risk analysis, since 2022, OCHA Nigeria has specifically explored options for anticipatory action (AA), which is faster, cheaper, and a more dignified way to support people at risk compared to post-disaster response . In 2024, this work will be advanced through a more risk-informed Humanitarian Response Plan, which integrates strengthened planning for readiness, anticipatory action and early response along specific timelines for each major risk.
AA activities will focus on flooding and cholera. For these risks, sectors have identified critical time windows for implementing prioritized AA measures. As AA must be feasible within a very short lead time – typically 7-10 days for floods and 4-6 weeks for cholera – high levels of readiness for AA are required (e.g., pre-registration of the most vulnerable and at-risk households for cash disbursements ahead of floods). Pre-defined implementation arrangements, pre-agreed triggers and activation protocols, and funding are also crucial. Discussions are therefore underway to leverage both the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund as well as the CERF in support of AA.
The HCT’s focus on risk-informed humanitarian programming is part of a broader effort to more closely link with disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures implemented by the Government and development partners.
Given the funding constraints, the scoping/boundary setting, means that the focus will be on core humanitarian activities. The 2024-2025 strategy retains, however, a two-pronged approach: emergency response and complementing transformative action. Humanitarian partners will work more closely with Government and development partners to ensure that longer-term efforts to address vulnerability are undertaken, as well as finding solutions for displaced and other conflict-affected people. Humanitarian action will be more focused, recognising that needs vary across the three BAY states. A four-tier prioritisation framework is being utilised, with the primary objective being to reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Efforts will be made to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to anticipate and mitigate shocks such as food insecurity, malnutrition, disease epidemics, and conflict-induced displacement. This will be guided by risk assessment emphasising geographic locations with the highest risk and the most vulnerable people within these locations. As a protection crisis, the goal remains to uphold humanitarian and human rights law, to safeguard crisis-affected people in north-east Nigeria from grave violations such as rape, GBV, and forced child marriage.
Concurrently, the secondary aim – transformative operation – underscores the importance of improving the situation of vulnerable people in a protracted crisis. This includes maintaining “ring-fenced” funding for the humanitarian operation, which needs to be sustained in parts of Borno and border areas between Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, while also scaling up development investments to accompany solutions for IDPs.
Evolution of the humanitarian response
16-Jan-2026
Evolution of the humanitarian response
| Year | Type | People in need | People targeted | Requirements ($) | Funding ($) | % Funded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
7.8 million
|
3.6 million
|
$910.2 million
|
$281.9 million
|
31%
|
|
| 2024 |
7.9 million
|
4.4 million
|
$926.5 million
|
$555.7 million
|
60%
|
|
| 2023 |
8.3 million
|
6 million
|
$1.31 billion
|
$577.8 million
|
44%
|
|
| 2022 |
8.4 million
|
5.6 million
|
$1.13 billion
|
$752.9 million
|
66.8%
|
|
| 2021 |
8.7 million
|
6.4 million
|
$1.01 billion
|
$714.7 million
|
71%
|
|
| 2020 |
10.6 million
|
7.8 million
|
$1.08 billion
|
$631.9 million
|
58.5%
|
|
| 2019 |
7.1 million
|
6.2 million
|
$847.7 million
|
$630 million
|
74.3%
|
|
| 2018 |
7.7 million
|
6.1 million
|
$1.05 billion
|
$725 million
|
69.2%
|
|
| 2017 |
HRP
|
|
|
$1.05 billion
|
$770.2 million
|
73%
|
| 2016 |
HRP
|
|
|
$484.2 million
|
$270.9 million
|
55.9%
|
References
- “(…) defined as acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce acute humanitarian impacts before they fully unfold. Anticipatory action works best if activities (the delivery), as well as triggers and decision-making rules (the model) are pre-agreed to guarantee the fast release of pre-arranged financing (the money).” https://www.unocha.org/anticipatory-action
- OCHA’s Compendium of Evidence
- IASC Deputy Principals Meeting, February 2023 and OCHA SLG Meeting, March 2023. During the HPC Workshop in June 2023 several CO HPC focal points requested HQ support.