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Crisis Severity0 Very lowVery high 5
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Impact0 Very lowVery high 5
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Humanitarian Conditions0 Very lowVery high 5
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Complexity0 Very lowVery high 5
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Access ConstraintsNo constraintsExtreme constraints
Key figures
Overview
Hostility between pastoralists (herders) and farmers has continued for decades in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Taraba. The disputes have arisen from tensions over land. Drought and desertification have forced pastoralists in northern and central Nigeria to move further south to access grazing land and water sources for their cattle. Meanwhile, rapid population growth has increased demand for land and led farmers to settle on tracts of land that pastoralists seasonally use as grazing routes. The conflict is primarily about access to resources, though it is often seen in the context of religious and ethnic differences.? There have been reports of activities such as village raids, cattle rustling, and attacks on farmers overlapping with violence from criminal gangs.? Households affected and displaced by this violence are highly likely to face food insecurity.?
Latest Developments
No significant recent humanitarian developments. This crisis is being monitored by our analysis team.
Information Gaps and Needs
Recent information on the number of people affected by farmer-pastoralist clashes.
Key Priorities
Food and livelihoods: around two million people in the Middle Belt region are food-insecure because of the persistent conflict as well as high food prices. Many farmers have been displaced or relocated to other areas. The interruption of farming and other economic activities has led to a loss of income. Coping capacity is likely deteriorating as poverty increases because of jeopardised livelihoods.?