As the Nigerian Red Cross Society marks 126 years of Henri Dunant’s legacy, the numbers reveal a nation in unprecedented need — yet facing historic resource shortages. KEHINDE ADEGOKE writes.
Nigeria marked World Red Cross Day with calls for unity and compassion, but the humanitarian data demands more than words.
During the lean season from June to August 2026, an estimated 34.7 million Nigerians are projected to experience Crisis or worse food insecurity outcomes — reflecting sustained pressure on livelihoods, markets, and household purchasing power. Four million Nigerians are currently displaced — 63 per cent of them for five years or more — while 3.5 million children across the country face severe acute malnutrition.
Against this backdrop, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Nigeria issued a warning that cut through the ceremony’s optimism with clinical precision: humanitarian funds are shrinking — even as the needs keep growing.
The Number Behind The Anniversary
In Abuja, the ceremony honoured Henri Dunant, whose shock at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 spurred today’s humanitarian efforts. The Nigerian Red Cross Society, the ICRC, the IFRC, the British Red Cross, and the Norwegian Red Cross attended.
The event was celebratory. The circumstances were not.
In the year 2025, increasing violence and forced displacement killed more than 4,000 Nigerian civilians — the highest number of civilian deaths per year in a decade. In the North-East alone, 7.8 million people require humanitarian assistance, while armed conflict has displaced over 2.2 million people and severely impacted access to food, healthcare, and basic services.
In 2025, flooding emerged as one of the most severe humanitarian challenges, affecting 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states. A joint assessment found that floods impacted 3 million people, claimed close to 700 lives, displaced 896,000 individuals, destroyed 226,000 homes, and flooded 1.3 million hectares of farmland during the harvest season.
The Funding Crisis Behind The Crisis
Ms Doris Doueihy, Head of ICRC Delegation in Nigeria, spoke frankly at the ceremony.
Humanitarian needs are huge today, more than ever. We all know that humanitarian funds are shrinking around the world,” she said. “The humanitarian needs are huge everywhere. In Nigeria, the same. We are all trying our best to respond to the needs, although we cannot completely fill the existing humanitarian gaps.”
Her warning reflects a global pattern with acute consequences in Nigeria. UNICEF Nigeria received only US$120 million of the US$255 million required for its humanitarian response in 2025 — leaving a funding gap of over US$135 million for a single agency in a single year. The EU, one of Nigeria’s leading humanitarian donors, allocated €46.5 million in 2025 — bringing its total contribution since 2014 to over €544 million. Yet aid workers still cannot reach an estimated one million people in the North-East due to hostilities and access constraints.
The Call For Unity — And What it Really Means
Nigerian Red Cross President Adeaga Oluyemisi urged national unity—a call now loaded with urgency in Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis.
“We should be united for humanity, and we should be humane because that is what brings unity to humanity,” Oluyemisi said, warning that division weakens disaster response and leaves the most vulnerable without the help they need.
“When we act with compassion, we affirm that dignity belongs to all, not just the fortunate,” he said, stressing that humanitarian values foster coexistence and respect.
Dr Awan Muhammad, IFRC Head of Delegation, said the organisation is active in all 36 states—addressing displacement, health, shelter, sanitation, food insecurity, and livelihoods.
“The day acknowledges the efforts of Nigerian Red Cross volunteers,” Muhammad said—highlighting both their dedication and the scale of the challenge.
The Dig
126 years after Henri Dunant’s founding response at a battlefield, Nigeria’s Red Cross volunteers work in 33 states, addressing insurgency, floods, displacement, malnutrition, and cholera—without enough funding, staff, or unity.
The anniversary was marked with a ceremony and speeches. The 34.7 million Nigerians projected to face crisis-level food insecurity this lean season will measure it differently.