440, 000 children risk acute malnutrition by end of 2019 — UNICEF

The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has raised the alarm over the rise in Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) threats among 440, 000 children in the Northeast.

UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Abigail Nyukuri, at the United Kingdom
Department for International Development (DFID), made the disclosure at a media dialogue, in Maiduguri.

She stressed that urgent attention is required to contain the situation, as over 440,000 children in insurgency affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe are likely to face SAM by the end of this year.

“Breakdown of the figure for 2019 indicates that 11 percent of children in Borno suffer SAM, 13 percent in Yobe and six percent in Adamawa,’’ she said.

The nutritionist who expressed concern that the malnutrition situation in the region has reached global emergency level stressed the need for local and international attention to salvage the situation.

Nyukuri said the problem of malnutrition was worsened by the inability of local and international health and rescue workers to access some communities in Rann, Magumeri, Jere and Konduga councils of Borno State.

She further attributed the problem to the recent increase in activities of Boko Haram insurgents.

According to the UNICEF official, N4.4b is required to close the gap for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the malnourished children.