A case study of violent conflict and its impact on food availability in Borno state, Nigeria

Abstract

A major reason for hunger in developing countries is conflict. The paper addresses the link between food availability and conflict. Nigeria is currently experiencing violent conflict; the last decade has seen a rise in violence caused by Boko Haram in the Northeast region which has negatively affected food availability and left millions of people food insecure. The concept of conflict and unavailability of food is very much linked to each other., Violent conflict in the world today is mostly made up of intrastate conflict, with terrorist organizations and rebel organizations, be it political or religious which are posing serious security challenges to peace. Agricultural production is the main sector of Nigeria’s economy. Most of the population are employed in the agricultural sector in the country. Agricultural production has been cut short by conflict. As a result of shortened agricultural productivity and high food prices, food insecurity is evident in the region. There are currently ongoing interventions from International and Non-governmental Organizations in addressing the issue. The results show that conflict is a major driver of food unavailability in the region and has negatively impacted the population. Also, for the second sustainable development goal to be effectively achieved organizations must create long-term programs in addressing food insecurity, while implementing short-term programs to meet the immediate needs of the people affected.