Nigeria’s northern region is facing a sharp rise in hunger and insecurity as a resurgence of terrorist attacks, mass kidnappings, and economic strain deepens an already fragile situation, according to new warnings from the United Nations.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday that relentless violence and instability are driving food shortages to unprecedented levels, with thousands now at risk of “famine-like conditions.” Nearly 35 million people across the north are projected to experience severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, which runs from May to September.

Borno State, the centre of a 16-year jihadist conflict, is expected to see about 15,000 people fall into catastrophic hunger. The insurgency has already killed more than 40,000 people and displaced roughly two million, spilling across borders and destabilising neighbouring countries.

Beyond Boko Haram, armed groups described as bandits continue to raid villages in the northwest and central regions, killing residents and abducting others for ransom.

Nigeria recorded three major kidnappings last week alone.

More than 300 students and teachers were taken from a Catholic school in Niger State. In Kebbi, 25 Muslim schoolgirls were abducted, and in Kwara, 38 worshippers were seized during a livestreamed church service. The UN said at least 402 people have been kidnapped in Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and Borno since November 17, with only 88 freed or able to escape.

The UN rights office condemned the rise in attacks, urging authorities to act swiftly.

“We are shocked at the recent surge in mass abductions in North Central Nigeria,” spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said in Geneva. He called on federal and state leaders to “take all lawful measures” to stop the attacks, ensure the safe return of victims, and carry out effective investigations.

The country’s insecurity crisis has forced school closures in several states. Nigeria has struggled with large-scale abductions for more than a decade, ever since Islamist fighters kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State.

The worsening violence intersects with a severe food crisis. WFP said nearly one million people in the northeast rely on its food aid, but funding cuts have already forced the agency to scale back programmes. Of its 500 nutrition centres in the region, 150 shut down in July, leaving more than 300,000 children without support and pushing malnutrition from “serious” to “critical” levels in the third quarter of the year.

The humanitarian shortfall follows reduced budgets from key donors, including the United States and several European nations. The pressure is magnified by an economic crisis that has driven inflation into double digits, making it harder for rural households to buy food during the planting-to-harvest gap.

Jihadist attacks have intensified this year as well, culminating in the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims claiming its first attack in Nigeria last month.

“Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress. Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s representative in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have drawn approval from international lenders but have sharply raised living costs for millions already grappling with instability.