40,000 Christians Displaced and Starving in Nigeria Until Iowa Missionaries Showed Up With Truckloads of Food
More than 3,500 displaced Christians in southern Taraba received emergency food from Iowa based missionaries as 40,000 believers face starvation.
Iowa Missionaries Rush Emergency Food to 3,500 Displaced Christians Starving in Southern Taraba, Nigeria
Thousands of displaced Christians in the war ravaged remote villages of southern Taraba State, Nigeria, received emergency food distributions in mid February 2026 from an Iowa based relief organization, averting what local leaders warned was an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
More than 3,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across eight communities, including Lisam 2, Ussa, Chanchanji, Amadu, Tor Kegba, Mbajir, Mbatyula, and Fadama, received bags of rice, corn, cassava, and guinea corn distributed by Equipping the Persecuted (ETP), an American Christian relief group founded by filmmaker and missionary Judd Saul.
The intervention came after repeated appeals from local clergy who warned of worsening hunger. Armed Fulani ethnic militia had allegedly seized farmlands across parts of Donga, Takum, and Ussa local government areas, preventing displaced farmers from cultivating crops and deepening food insecurity in already vulnerable communities.
As many as 40,000 predominantly Christian residents, chiefly farmers, have been displaced from the region. The Catholic Diocese of Wukari has reported more than 100 people killed, thousands injured, and over 90,000 Catholics displaced since September 2025.
Most of the displaced are Catholics, ECWA, Baptists, and NKST members cutting across the major ethnic groups of Southern Taraba.
Fr. George Dogo of Holy Family Cathedral, Takum, told TruthNigeria.
Beyond hunger, the situation remains dire. Disease is spreading rapidly in overcrowded makeshift shelters with limited access to clean water and healthcare.
Ten children died of meningitis within one week. Many others are showing symptoms: persistent cough, catarrh, and high fever.
Fr. Francis Edward Barau, Parish Priest of Chanchanji, reported.
Community leader Stephen Kajo said their communities have been attacked repeatedly since September, with many lives lost. Youth leader Iorliam Tersoo echoed the desperation, stating they need security so they can go back and rebuild. One anonymous resident claimed over 200 people have been killed since September of last year.
Emergency Relief Brings Hope to Persecuted Taraba Christians Amid Ongoing Violence
Southern Taraba, a largely agrarian region near Nigeria's border with Cameroon, has endured repeated armed attacks in recent years. Community leaders claim more than 500 villages have been affected by an ethnic conflict stretching back 13 years. Before the intervention, many families were surviving on less than one full meal a day.
Catholic priests in Taraba held a peaceful protest the week prior, calling attention to the killings and displacement of Christian farmers. They reported that over 200 churches and communities have been destroyed. Local leaders have called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the North East Development Commission (NEDC), and the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (TSEMA) for urgent intervention.
While the relief has temporarily stabilized food access for thousands, local leaders warn that emergency aid cannot substitute for long term security and restoration of farmland.
The Crusader's Opinion
Forty thousand Christians displaced. Over 200 murdered. Ten children dead from meningitis in a single week. And the world says nothing. If this were happening to any other religious group anywhere on earth, the United Nations would have held emergency sessions by now. But because they are Christians in Nigeria, the silence is deafening.
Thank God for organizations like Equipping the Persecuted stepping into the gap that governments refuse to fill. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, Catholics, Baptists, ECWA, and NKST believers united by the cross and abandoned by the world. The Body of Christ must wake up. Every denomination, every church, every believer. If we do not defend our own, no one else will.
Take Action
- Donate directly to Equipping the Persecuted (ETP) to support ongoing food and medical relief for displaced Christians in Taraba State.
- Support The Shepherd's Shield (www.TheShepherdsShield.org) to help protect persecuted believers worldwide.
- Give to Open Doors or Voice of the Martyrs to support persecuted Christians in Nigeria and across the globe.
- Contact your U.S. congressional representatives and urge them to support the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced by Representatives Smith and Moore.
- Pray specifically for the displaced communities of Lisam 2, Ussa, Chanchanji, Amadu, Tor Kegba, Mbajir, Mbatyula, and Fadama in southern Taraba State.
- Share this article on social media to raise awareness. The mainstream media will not cover this. We must be the voice for the voiceless.
