The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the worsening state of child malnutrition in Nigeria, revealing that 3.5 million children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition across the country.
The agency further warned that without urgent intervention, around 400,000 of these children could die within the next five weeks due to a lack of life-saving nutrition support.
UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Field Operations and Emergencies, Judith Leveille, delivered the grim update during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. The event highlighted the European Union’s humanitarian assistance for victims of the Yelewata crisis in Benue State, as well as the broader nutrition emergency affecting the North-East and North-West regions.
Leveille cautioned that the country was now facing a critical shortage of essential nutrition supplies needed to treat affected children and avert preventable deaths.
“So, we need to call on all forces to prevent a stockout of essential nutrition commodities used to treat severe acute malnutrition. As we speak, we can expect a stockout by September 1.
“So, we have one month and eight days to avoid the preventable deaths of over 400,000 children. That’s a lot of children.
“I’m sure that among them, there could be a Nobel Prize winner, a brilliant scientist who invents a life-saving solution, a great Nigerian musician, or a great actor.
“Nigeria has the potential to produce such individuals. A lot can be done to prevent this situation. By essential commodities, I’m talking about ready-to-use therapeutic food.”
Read also: UNICEF Moves To End Child Malnutrition In 5 Northern States
The UNICEF chief added, “Today, we are gathered because we have a common understanding. More can be done to ensure that all severely acute malnourished children, and we are talking about a burden of 3.5 million children in Nigeria, are treated.
“The situation is dire. Over the weekend, we met over 100 children who needed urgent treatment. We met little Memunah, little Aisha, their mothers, and of course, my colleagues—Médecins Sans Frontières, Action Against Hunger- were there at the stabilisation centres.
She noted that they had met dedicated nurses and doctors who worked tirelessly alongside Nigerian medical teams to save children’s lives, describing their efforts as truly commendable. However, she pointed out that despite their commitment, more still needed to be done, as the nutritional stabilisation centres were already overstretched and struggling to cope.
She explained that the peak of the lean season had not yet arrived, mentioning that it would begin in about three weeks and last for over a month. According to her, the situation they observed in some communities in Sokoto was not unique, as similar conditions could be seen in many other states, especially across northern Nigeria, where children remained at high risk without urgent intervention.