By Ladi Jossy, Maiduguri
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) lamented that more than 460,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition in the three states most affected by insurgency conflicts in 2023.
According to the United Nations agency, raised concerns about the alarming rate of acute malnutrition among children due to the inaccessibility of humanitarian workers in the Marte local government area of Borno state.
Andrea Malatesta, UNICEF Emergency Manager stated in Maiduguri at the weekend that many households do not always get the nutritious food that they need, and many adopt coping strategies like skipping meals.
“With the support of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), we are making sure that the therapeutic food, supplements, and medications that children with SAM need are available.
“Over 460,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in 2023.
“So far this year, 8,605 children between the ages of 6-59 months have been screened for malnutrition.
During these screening exercises, 2,156 malnourished children were identified, admitted into the nutrition program, and fully recovered. (1,358 severe acute malnutrition, 798 moderate acute malnutrition),”He stressed.
Andrea maintained military escorts which could take 3-5 days before their availability disrupts planned activities, hinders humanitarian operations, and compromises the safety of residents and personnel in the area.
“Children in northeast Nigeria are battling escalating levels of malnutrition and they need an immediate, and holistic response to address this.
“Insecurity remains the number one challenge. Access to New Marte is only possible by road and humanitarian operations rely heavily on military escort to transport personnel, supplies, and other critical resources to support the local population affected by conflict.
“Being an area with security concerns, military escorts or safety sweeps are required for the safe movement of individuals and goods. However, the availability of such escorts is often inconsistent or unreliable, leading to potential risks and vulnerabilities,” he worried.
He noted that UNICEF and its partner, Monclub International are using the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) program to ensure that no child dies of malnutrition, cholera, or waterborne diseases in New Marte.
