Days after the world’s first famine in six years was declared in South Sudan, the rich countries convening in Norway this week to discuss the Nigeria food crisis face pressure to stump up funds to prevent a second, in north-east Nigeria.

Uppermost on the agenda will be the failure of wealthy states to react more quickly to an international humanitarian appeal for more than 5 million people facing severe food shortages. Sensitive issues surrounding the Nigerian government’s ongoing offensive against Boko Haram militants in the stricken region are also likely to be discussed at the Oslo conference.

Those working on the frontline of the crisis are hoping the event – hosted by the Norwegian, Nigerian and German governments and the UN – will bolster relief efforts. While this year’s global humanitarian appeal for Nigeria – at present 1.8% funded – is at an early stage, last year’s appeal is only a little more than 50% funded. The UN and humanitarian agencies say more than $1bn is needed.

“It’s a crisis that people have talked about but frankly the level of resource commitment has been nowhere near what it should have been and the situation on the ground is even getting worse,” warned Manuel Fontaine, Unicef’s regional director for the west and central Africa Region.

“We are talking about 120,000 people at risk of famine some time in the year in northern Nigeria and we don’t think that the resources, globally, have been provided for this crisis. This is what we hope to change in Oslo.”

Privately, some NGO workers arriving in the city have expressed scepticism, highlighting the omission of the word “donors” from the summit’s official title, the Oslo humanitarian conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.

“Frankly we are all very, very late on this one,” said one veteran who has worked in northern Nigeria. “There has been quite a lot of pushing in the background for this event to be held and it’s quite interesting that it’s not being billed as a donor conference even though a real effort needs to be made to raise money.”

The same source suggested that discussions were taking place about the potential for shifting aid money over to humanitarian assistance, which would also mean that the funds would not go through the Nigerian government.

“It’s something that is being looked at because budgets are really stretched. But it’s another can of worms, at least in Europe, as much of that money is going with the intention of stopping migration, and is the subject of a whole separate deal with Nigeria. There are real questions for European governments in terms of priorities. Are they more interested in stopping some Nigerians coming to Europe when others are dying in the north east of the country?”

Women and children queue to enter a Unicef nutrition clinic in Muna informal settlement on the outskirts of Maiduguri. Photograph: Stefan Heunis/AFP/Getty Images

Tensions surrounding the attitude of the Nigerian authorities towards humanitarian organisations are also likely to punctuate proceedings. Among those taking part in public discussions with humanitarian agencies is the outspoken governor of Nigeria’s Borno State, Kashim Shettima, who has accused aid agencies including Unicef of profiting from money meant to help those fleeing Boko Haram.

On Thursday, Shettima, who has said the agencies should leave the country, will be among those to share a stage with Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees.



The Nigerian military campaign against Boko Haram and its potential impact on aid efforts are also a potentially delicate topic. Despite claims that the group has been defeated, some aid workers insist that the homecoming of tens of thousand of Nigerians displaced by the insurgency has been prevented by enduring fear of the Islamists and ongoing insecurity.



The use of armed escorts in aid provision can also limit NGO activities, as being associated with the military may put staff and beneficiaries at risk, according to a group of 16 NGOs.



“Alternatives for allowing movement within insecure areas are needed, and this requires greater investment and resources to facilitate access negotiations and improve civil-military coordination, including increasing the number of civil-military and access staff in all four [Lake Chad] countries,” said a statement by the group signed by Oxfam and Save the Children, among others.

NGOs and UN agencies have been particularly vocal on the issue of protection and access to civilians, especially the young.

Fontaine said that, while he had previously encountered situations where humanitarian access to children detained during armed conflicts was difficult but possible, circumstances in the Lake Chad region were more complicated.

A man stands guard as a woman collects water in Kerawa, Cameroon, on the border with Nigeria. There is a history of Boko Haram attacks in the area. Photograph: Joe Penney/Reuters

“We’re facing a very complex security situation,” said Fontaine, who estimated that 1,400 children were in official custody. “There is an armed group that has, in particular, targeted women and children, so it’s of a different dimension. Then, there is added pressure on kids with suspected links with Boko Haram.

“We are expecting from the countries at the conference clear commitments on those issues.”

The World Food Programme’s west Africa regional director, Abdou Dieng, pointed out the problems of securing resources at a time when the crises in Yemen, South Sudan and Somalia also require attention.

“While Nigeria is a big country it is also not generally known as a poor country even though many of the areas affected were already severely impoverished,” said Dieng.

He added that he hoped for “substantial support from donors” to help the WFP operation, which ranges from food relief to cash transfers.