By Franca Ofili
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says admissions for malnutrition have risen by 18 per cent at its supported health facilities in northeast Nigeria, increasing from 17,000 cases in 2025 to nearly 20,000 in 2026.
The ICRC said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Aliyu Dawobe, highlighting the growing burden of malnutrition in northeast Nigeria.
Dawobe said the cases were recorded between January and September across six health centres and four hospitals supported by the ICRC, highlighting worsening nutritional challenges among vulnerable populations in conflict-affected communities.
According to him, young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are among the groups hardest hit by rising malnutrition, as conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures continue to undermine household food security.
“In Mubi, Adamawa, malnutrition admissions increased by nearly 24 per cent, rising from approximately 4,600 cases between January and September 2025 to about 5,700 during the same period in 2026.
“At the Mubi Stabilisation Centre, mothers bring their children for nutritional assessments and treatment, while some also collect specialised food provided to support the recovery of malnourished children,” he said.
Dawobe said one of the mothers, Zulaihatu Mohammed, brought her six-month-old daughter, Huseina, one of her twins, for routine food collection and assessment because the child had been unwell since birth.
He quoted Mohammed as saying, “When I gave birth to them, this one was tiny.”
She explained that she had visited the centre to collect children’s food and sought help for her ailing daughter.
According to him, her experience reflects the difficulties confronting families across northeast Nigeria, where prolonged armed conflict, climate-related shocks and economic hardship have disrupted livelihoods, reduced food access and increased malnutrition risks.
“Farmers are also struggling to cultivate their land safely, as explosive devices and insecurity have made fields located far from residential areas dangerous to access in conflict-affected communities,” he said.
Dawobe said farmer Saminu Ijaduwa reported that insecurity had forced him to restrict cultivation to a small plot near his home, limiting farming opportunities and food production.
“Due to the conflict, going one kilometre out of town to farm could be highly risky. You might not return,” Ijaduwa said, describing the dangers confronting farmers in the area, Dawobe quoted him as saying.
He said restricted farmland access and disrupted markets made obtaining adequate food increasingly difficult for families, with particularly serious consequences for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
“To address malnutrition, the ICRC, working with the Nigerian Red Cross, supports 15 primary healthcare centres and four hospitals, while helping more than 200 communities treat malnutrition and strengthen household food security.
“The interventions include providing farmers with seeds suited to drought and flooding, encouraging crop diversity and supporting mothers with practical knowledge on preparing nutritious meals using locally available ingredients.
“One initiative promotes Tom Brown, a nutritious blend of sorghum, millet, soybeans, groundnuts and moringa, which has helped more than 13,000 young children recover from moderate acute malnutrition.
“The programme also teaches mothers how to prepare the mixture themselves, enabling them to continue providing nutritious food for their children at home and supporting sustained recovery after treatment,” he said.
According to him, the ICRC’s interventions combine malnutrition treatment with community-based food security initiatives aimed at improving access to nutritious meals and helping vulnerable households cope with conflict-related challenges.
“Nigeria’s wider food insecurity crisis remains severe, with more than 34 million people projected to face insufficient food to feed their families in 2026, according to United Nations analysis.
“The projection represents the highest number in six years and places Nigeria among the world’s hunger hotspots of highest concern, alongside Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza, the analysis indicated,” he said.
Dawobe said the statement was issued to commemorate World Food Day, observed annually on October 16, as concerns mount over worsening food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable populations in northeast Nigeria.(NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
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