Urgent action needed to save millions of children from malnutrition in North-east says UN official

Immediate intervention is required to prevent millions of children in North East Nigeria from suffering malnutrition, stated Mohamed Fall, Nigeria’s Resident Coordinator for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA).

Fall highlighted the crisis during a visit to a Stabilisation Centre in Yola, Adamawa, as part of World Humanitarian Day (WHD2024) activities.

The 2024 WHD theme is #ActForHumanity. According to UN-OCHA, 4.8 million people are projected to face food insecurity during the lean season, with 230,000 children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. A response plan seeking $306 million is only 30% funded.

Fall emphasized the need for collective action, urging stakeholders to address food insecurity and malnutrition in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. “As we mark World Humanitarian Day, we must stand in solidarity with the children whose lives are on the line,” he said.

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He however expressed optimism with the Federal and state  government’s support to address the situation.

”What gives me hope is that the state government working with development partners can bring hope to people in need.

”So, For me, the humanitarian space is one of the main spaces where humanity has its true expression. It is a space where you see humanitarian actors risking their lives to save other people’s lives, to reduce vulnerability, to protect and to help people get back on their feet,” he said

The coordinator expressed concern about families’ ability to afford treatment and called for increased resource mobilization. Despite the grim situation, he remains hopeful, citing the support of the Federal and State governments and development partners in addressing the crisis.

He expressed worries about the ability of families to bear the cost of  treatment hence the need for collective action to support humanity.

“Malnutrition also comes at an enormous cost to children’s physical and intellectual development, meaning that they may never reach their full potential.

“I met mothers who were both hopeful and worried. They are hopeful that their children will get better soon but they are also worried that their children may get sick once again.

“Because they can’t access enough nutritious food to sustain their health and I share their worries. Our ability to support these efforts is rapidly diminishing because the resources that we saw mobilised for the COVID 19 response, and the global solidarity are no longer there.

A medical practitioner at the centre, Sani Mohammed, reported that the facility treats an average of 96,000 patients annually from within and outside the state.