The Executive Director of The Nazarene Fund, Suzanne Grisham, has raised fresh concerns over the security and humanitarian situation facing Christian communities in Nigeria after visiting parts of the country and witnessing conditions in areas affected by deadly attacks.
Grisham made the remarks during an appearance on American broadcaster Glenn Beck’s programme, where she joined Glenn Beck and Charmaine Hedding to discuss the ongoing violence, displacement and humanitarian challenges confronting Christian communities.
Speaking during the November 6, 2026 programme, Grisham described what she had witnessed as among the worst humanitarian situations she had encountered, particularly in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
According to her account, Christian communities have suffered repeated attacks, with many families losing their male relatives, leaving women and children to cope with displacement, insecurity and economic hardship.
She said the organisation’s visit was aimed at understanding the situation firsthand and identifying practical ways to support affected communities.
Grisham disclosed that the team had visited communities and displacement camps where survivors were struggling to rebuild their lives after attacks.
She also highlighted the plight of widows whose husbands were reportedly killed during attacks attributed to armed Fulani militants.
During the programme, she revealed that the organisation’s local partners had been supporting approximately 1,300 widows, while more than 1,000 additional women remained on a waiting list for assistance.
She stressed that the humanitarian needs extended beyond immediate relief, noting that affected women were raising children and supporting families without their husbands.
Grisham’s account also drew attention to the wider security challenges affecting rural communities in the Middle Belt, where attacks, kidnappings, destruction of homes and displacement have disrupted livelihoods and weakened community structures.
Nazarene Fund Plans Support for Nigerian Communities
Glenn Beck disclosed that The Nazarene Fund and its humanitarian partners had been making preparations for their Nigeria intervention for several months.
He explained that the organisation was working to establish local networks, identify trusted partners and develop systems that could help threatened communities respond to security emergencies.
Rather than simply evacuating residents, Beck said the organisation wanted to help communities that wished to remain in their ancestral homes while improving their ability to survive and respond to threats.
The initiative also includes humanitarian assistance for widows and orphans who have lost family members to violence.
During the programme, Beck called on supporters and churches to contribute towards the humanitarian effort, directing interested donors to The Nazarene Fund.
International Organisations Also Raise Concerns
The concerns raised during the interview come amid growing international attention to violence affecting Christian communities in Nigeria.
Christian Solidarity International (CSI), in a November 5, 2026 statement, launched a campaign titled Christians in Nigeria: Under Siege, focusing particularly on attacks, displacement and humanitarian challenges in the Middle Belt.
The organisation cited research by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which attributed 18,577 civilian deaths between October 2019 and September 2025 to armed Fulani groups.
CSI also documented testimonies from survivors in Plateau State, including families who lost relatives during attacks on rural communities. Its report highlighted the challenges facing displaced women, children and other vulnerable residents.
In a separate development, United Nations human rights experts warned in June 2026 about reports of killings, abductions, sexual violence, forced conversion and other violations affecting Christian and other religious minority communities, particularly women and girls.
The experts called on Nigerian authorities to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities, investigate reported abuses and ensure justice and support for survivors.
Nigeria’s security crisis, however, involves several armed groups and overlapping factors, including terrorism, communal violence, farmer-herder disputes and criminal banditry. The circumstances and motivations behind individual attacks require proper investigation.
Call for Stronger Protection and Humanitarian Intervention
The latest revelations have renewed calls for stronger international attention to the plight of vulnerable communities in Nigeria.
For families living in affected areas, the crisis extends beyond the loss of lives. Many survivors face homelessness, food shortages, interrupted education, insecurity and the challenge of rebuilding their livelihoods.
The Nigerian Government continues to face pressure to improve security operations, protect rural communities, investigate attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.
As The Nazarene Fund begins expanding its humanitarian activities in Nigeria, the experiences shared by its director have added another international voice to calls for urgent intervention.
IBN News will continue to follow developments surrounding the organisation’s activities and the wider security and humanitarian situation in Nigeria.
