Malnutrition Crisis in Nigeria’s Zamfara State: A Growing Concern
A devastating malnutrition crisis is unfolding in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, with alarming rates of malnutrition affecting one in every four children under the age of five. According to a mass screening conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Ministry of Health in June, 27 per cent of children screened were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition, with five per cent having severe acute malnutrition. These figures far exceed the critical level threshold established by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding malnutrition prevalence.
The crisis is particularly concerning in the Shinkafi and Zurmi areas, where MSF conducted the recent malnutrition screening. The screening revealed that about 22 per cent of children screened are moderately malnourished, with no immediate treatment available due to the halt of UNICEF’s supplies at the start of the year. This lack of humanitarian response puts the lives of these children at risk, as they will progress to severe acute malnutrition without immediate care.
MSF is urging health authorities, international organisations, and donors to intensify their efforts to tackle the escalating malnutrition crisis in Zamfara state and the whole of northwest Nigeria. The organisation is calling for the immediate expansion of health facilities to treat malnourished children and ensure that more hospitals can offer the type of inpatient care desperately needed to save lives.
The situation is further complicated by the ongoing humanitarian crisis and high levels of insecurity in the region. Communities are facing violence and are scared to move around the state, taking huge risks to reach functioning healthcare facilities. Only about 200 out of 700 healthcare centres in Zamfara are accessible, and the rest are non-functional, making it difficult for healthcare workers to reach them.
The consequences of this crisis are severe, with malnutrition making children more susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, malaria, and acute watery diarrhoea. In Zamfara, MSF has treated at least 5,700 measles cases so far this year, highlighting the urgent need for a coordinated response.
As one mother, Hafsat Lawal, whose child is being treated for malnutrition at an MSF facility, poignantly stated, "When I first brought my son into the hospital, I didn’t know if he would survive. Back at home because of the insecurity we don’t have food. The prices of food have more than doubled. If we had money, we would have bought some grains, but we cannot."
The international community must act swiftly to address this crisis. UNICEF, as the primary supplier of ready-to-use-therapeutic food, must ensure the consistent and sufficient delivery of these essential therapeutic foods to prevent more children from falling victim to this crisis. It is crucial that health authorities, international organisations, and donors work together to scale up their response and provide the necessary support to address this growing humanitarian crisis.
