• Borno State Government moves to close Muna camp.
• Storms and fires deepen hardships for internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Borno State.
• Multiple disease outbreaks escalate the health emergency in Borno State.

As the 2025 lean season sets in across the BAY states, a worsening food and nutrition crisis is threatening millions, especially children under five. Despite ongoing efforts by state authorities and humanitarian partners, acute malnutrition is surging, driven by conflict and insecurity, displacement, drastic funding gaps, and logistical hurdles.

An estimated 1 million children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) this year, double the 2024 figure. Of these, over 600,000 could face life-threatening conditions in the June to August lean season, without urgent access to nutrition services. Meanwhile, 4.6 million people are projected to experience acute food insecurity during the lean season, according to the March 2025 Cadre Harmonisé analysis.

In Bama Local Government Area (LGA), Borno State, a mass screening by nutrition partners in April revealed 1,240 SAM cases among children under five - a 168 per cent spike in monthly admissions to outpatient therapeutic programmes (OTPs) from March to April. While expanded OTP coverage by UNICEF and partners like FHI 360 and the International Rescue Committee IRC) has improved access to treatment, the sharp rise in cases highlights the deepening crisis.

This trend is mirrored across the BAY states, where OTPs and stabilisation centres are reporting increasing admissions. However, the response is constrained by limited access to services as more partners are forced to close or suspend operations due to funding cuts and frequent stockouts of essential supplies. In addition, factors such as the diversion and misuse of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), limited understanding of the regulations governing its diversion among security and transport personnel, and service disruptions in hard-toreach areas exacerbate the crisis.

Food insecurity remains a key challenge as witnessed during a food distribution by INTERSOS on behalf of the World Food Programme (WFP) on 8 May in Banki LGA, Borno State. Of the 80,283 registered beneficiaries, only 56,458 - about 70 per cent - received aid due to stock shortages. This sparked protests, with demonstrators confronting humanitarian workers and throwing stones at a warehouse. While the incident ended with no casualties due to the intervention of the Nigerian military, it highlighted the level of food insecurity in the community.

To address the crisis, the Government of Nigeria and the UN and its partners launched the 2025 Lean Season Multisectoral Response Plan for the BAY states on 6 May. The Plan seeks US$159 million over the next six months for urgent nutrition, food, health interventions, and other life-saving assistance for 2 million people in severe need in the BAY states.

Without swift and sustained intervention, the food and nutrition crisis in the BAY states will continue to escalate, placing thousands of lives, particularly those of women and children, at grave risk.