A recent survey conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) found that catastrophic levels of Malnutrition persist in several areas of northwest Nigeria. The survey, carried out on 2,066 children from three local government districts in Katsina state, was in cooperation with the Katsina State Ministry of Health and Epicentre, the epidemiology branch of MSF. Findings in the local government areas of Katsina, Jibia, and Mashi, shows that there is a serious nutritional crisis. In certain areas, over 30% of children suffer from global acute malnutrition, and rates of severe acute malnutrition, the most serious kind of malnutrition, range from 6.8% to 14.4%.
It shows that the prevalence of global acute malnutrition has doubled in some regions since last year, when the situation was already deemed terrible. The group emphasized that admissions to their therapeutic feeding clinics have increased dramatically this year, indicating that tens of thousands of children are experiencing acute malnutrition. As the crisis worsened, more than 51,000 children received treatment for malnutrition between January and May 2024, a 26% increase over 2023. Numerous causes, such as the region’s pervasive poverty, poor access to healthcare, and growing Insecurity brought on by violence, have contributed to the situation.
Aid in the Northwest area has never been sufficient.
According to MSF, many malnourished children who recover are frequently readmitted because their families are unable to provide them with adequate food to keep them healthy, thereby keeping them in a vicious circle of starvation. This cyclical issue highlights the crucial need for a more thorough approach that tackles the underlying causes of food Poverty and offers long-term solutions. In response, MSF has expanded its operations, taking up the management of 45 feeding centers in multiple states. Yet, aid in this area has never been sufficient to meet the requirements of the populace and is currently declining much further.
The group has urged the Nigerian government, humanitarian agencies, and the international community to take immediate action, warning that the response action continues to fall short. Several therapeutic feeding clinics are operated by MSF teams in the area, but they emphasize that this is insufficient to fulfill the growing demand. MSF notes that many children have remained malnourished due to ongoing food insecurity plaguing the region, indicating that the situation has gotten to a critical point. This ongoing trend emphasizes how serious the situation is and how urgent and robust intervention is required.
Northwest not included in UN’s aid plan for Nigeria.
Furthermore, the malnutrition Epidemic in northwest Nigeria is not only a health issue but also a socioeconomic problem. With 78% of people in the area estimated to be living below the poverty line, it remains difficult to access essential services. Many children have never had vaccinations against diseases that might be prevented, and healthcare is either difficult to obtain or highly expensive. This crisis is compounded by insufficient foreign aid, which deprives disadvantaged communities of the support they require. The malnutrition crisis has intensified to become a major humanitarian emergency.
This is especially concerning as food insecurity is predicted to worsen even more in the near future. Nigeria is experiencing high inflation, ongoing Devaluation of the domestic currency, and a sharp decline in agricultural yields this year. The Cost Of Living is rising, instability is still a problem in some areas of the region, and climate events that affect crops and animals are predicted to continue. Even with the sharp rise in the rate of acute malnutrition —more than 75% in the Jibia local government area—the northwest is still left out of the UN’s humanitarian response plan for Nigeria.
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With all these troubling realities, the group fears a more severe crisis in 2025 if no further intervention measures are implemented. International donors, humanitarian organizations, and the Nigerian government must act immediately to ease the current crisis and stop more children from being abused. Preventive actions, such as enhancing Food Security and identifying cases of malnutrition early are considered essential. In the absence of these efforts, the scenario may result in additional fatalities as well as long-term health issues for the impacted children and their families.