Stakeholders have expressed concerns that the withdrawal of humanitarian aid by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will disrupt essential services in Nigeria’s crisis-hit northeastern states.
They warn that the decision, which follows a policy shift by the U.S. government, will severely impact service delivery, particularly in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
Critical sectors such as healthcare, education, food security, and emergency response are expected to be affected, leaving vulnerable populations without vital support.
Their views were shared in response to a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Stakeholders further caution that the withdrawal will worsen the humanitarian crisis, leaving internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, and children without necessary assistance.
This development follows a policy review by the U.S. government under President Donald Trump, which includes a halt in foreign assistance to several nations.
To implement this policy, the U.S. government has halted funding for international aid projects.
Most of this support is typically channeled through USAID, with crisis-hit states in Nigeria’s northeast among the primary beneficiaries.
Humanitarian operations under threat
With the withdrawal of this support, Dr. Jalo Muhammed, Director of Rescue Operations at the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), warned that the agency may struggle to function effectively.
“I can’t say how much USAID has expended over time, but its support has been very valuable. We can’t even quantify it,” he said.
He stated that the U.S. “stop work order” had severely disrupted the delivery of critical humanitarian services in Yobe.
“The suspension of funding has impacted multiple sectors, including health, education, water, sanitation, hygiene, protection, nutrition, food security, and livelihoods,” Muhammed said.
He added that vulnerable groups—such as children, women, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and flood-affected communities—have been left without essential support.
Organizations affected by the funding cut
Muhammed listed the affected service providers, including the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Hope for Street Children and Vulnerable People, Wadata Relief Care Initiative (WRCI), and the Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Consortium, as well as Plan International.
Other organizations impacted include Children International, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
These bodies have been delivering humanitarian aid across at least 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Yobe.
Muhammed noted that many of these organizations, which have been providing life-saving services to hundreds of communities, have either halted their operations or are operating under constrained waivers.
Over 200,000 people were left without aid
He further stated that the funding withdrawal has disrupted services for more than 200,000 individuals, particularly children, women, and other vulnerable groups.
Among the severely affected humanitarian programs, he listed polio eradication, HIV treatment, nutrition, gender-based violence (GBV) response, education, and food security.
