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Stand with Shuwari: Help families rebuild after devastating violence
Help families rebuild their lives
£6,000 to go
Target: £6,000
For years, communities across northeast Nigeria have lived with the devastating consequences of insurgency, armed violence and displacement.
Since the early 2000s, thousands of families have lost loved ones, homes, livelihoods and their sense of security. While the Nigerian government, local organisations and international humanitarian agencies continue working to respond to the crisis, many families remain deeply vulnerable.
Nigeria’s Christians face extreme persecution
Nigeria is currently ranked 7th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List*, which identifies the countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.
According to Open Doors’ research for the 2026 reporting period:
- 3,490 Christians were killed in Nigeria because of their faith and 2,293 Christians were abducted
- Nigeria accounted for approximately 72% of all Christians killed for faith-related reasons worldwide
- Open Doors estimates that 107.3 million people in Nigeria are Christian, around 45.7% of the population
These figures are minimum estimates, and Open Doors notes that many incidents go unreported.
In February, Shuwari was attacked
On 26 February 2026, the people of Shuwari community experienced another devastating attack. 20 people lost their lives. Homes were destroyed. Food stalls were burned. Farmland was devastated. Nearly 200 families were displaced overnight.
For many survivors, everything they had worked for disappeared in a single day.
The humanitarian consequences of attacks like this can last long after the violence has ended. When homes and farmland are destroyed and livestock are lost, families can suddenly find themselves without the means to feed themselves, educate their children or earn an income.
Stand with the families of Shuwari
The causes are complex, but the need is immediate.
The families of Shuwari have already endured unimaginable loss. We want to help them rebuild their lives. With the right support, farmers can plant again; shepherds can rebuild their herds; small traders can reopen their businesses; families can regain an income; and communities can begin to recover.
Together, we can help survivors rebuild their livelihoods and restore hope for the people of Shuwari. Please donate today.
About the partnership
International Needs UK is partnering with the Mariam Ladi Yunusa Foundation to support vulnerable families in northern Nigeria. The Foundation supports vulnerable communities in northeast Nigeria through agriculture, education, leadership and skills development programmes. This organisation has been recommended to us through Asmau Durnin who has been supporting IN UK fundraising over several years. IN UK have been building relationship with this partner and have completed a due diligence exercise. Working in collaboration with IN Ghana, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner together.
project overview
Our impact
Your support can provide practical livelihood recovery assistance, including:
Agricultural support:
Help farmers access the agricultural inputs they need to plant crops and begin restoring their livelihoods.
Livestock support:
Help shepherds replace livestock and restart the businesses on which their families depend.
Small business support:
Help vulnerable petty traders rebuild and strengthen small businesses that provide essential household income.
1
Nigeria's Christians face extreme persecution. The violence comes from a number of armed actors, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), as well as other armed groups and militants.
2
Nigeria's insecurity has multiple causes: poverty, unemployment, weak governance, corruption, social exclusion, regional marginalisation, poor access to education and competition over land and resources.
3
As the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has noted, violent attacks in Nigeria affect both Christians and Muslims, while Christians remain particularly vulnerable in several areas of the country.
the difference international needs uk can make
Help families rebuild their livelihoods
£36 could support one farmer with planting maize and rice.
£853 could provide livestock support for 10 shepherds to restart their businesses.
£2,133 could support 150 petty traders to upscale their businesses.
stories
Thomas’ story: From farmer and shepherd to survivor
Before the attack, Thomas Amos Apagu was a farmer and shepherd, and worked hard to provide for his family.
During the violence, Thomas was shot in the stomach and nearly lost his life. He survived, but he lost all his livestock, which was his main source of income.
Today, Thomas and his family are living in an unfinished building in the neighbouring village of Gulak, struggling to meet their most basic needs. Yet Thomas has not given up, he dreams of rebuilding his life through a small business that will once again enable him to support his family.
How we spend your money
For every £1 you donate to this appeal, we will allocate 25p of your donation to cover general support and running costs. There is a small chance that we will raise more money than is needed for this appeal. If this happens, we'll spend any additional funds on other International Needs projects – wherever the need is greatest.
project updates
August 10th 2026