The number of malnourished children under 5 in northern Nigeria is equivalent to the entire population of Scotland

The malnutrition crisis in Nigeria is escalating and urgent action is needed to save lives. Without immediate intervention, 1.8 million children could die from severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

According to new data collected by the Nigerian Red Cross Society 84 per cent of healthcare facilities in six northern states reported insufficient stocks of lifesaving ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF).

An estimated two million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria, yet only 20% are receiving treatment, while 47% of children assessed are suffering from SAM in Zango and Kankara in Katsina state and Wamako in Sokoto state.

Data from across Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states shows from those assessed, more children are malnourished (moderately and severely) than not malnourished.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an emergency appeal, to support the Nigerian Red Cross in scaling up their response to malnutrition, aiming to reach one million people.

Compounding this suffering, many key partners are having to withdraw or halt their programming due to funding cuts.

The UN are closing half of their health clinics in northeast Nigeria, while states like Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara in the northwest, have been facing a silent emergency for years.

In 2024 figures from Medicine Sans Frontier showed some local government areas in Katsina had SAM rates of 6.8% - 14.4%. In July this year, in neighboring areas, this has more than doubled to 47% - 47.8%

Alongside alarming SAM statistics reported in Katsina and Sokoto, are concerning moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) figures. In Maradun, Zamfara, 48.5% of children are suffering with MAM.

Without improved community-level surveillance and monitoring of MAM cases, the burden placed on local healthcare services, with the appropriate facilities to treat SAM, will be insurmountable.

Red Cross volunteers work within their communities and are therefore well placed to conduct this monitoring. In addition, volunteers are teaching women to make a supplementary food called Tom Brown (a locally produced flour mix of grains, soy and peanuts), which can prevent MAM escalating into SAM. 

The Red Cross are providing funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food and are channelling community volunteers into healthcare facilities to support the treatment of SAM.

Francis Salako, Head of the Abuja Delegation for IFRC says: “Without additional support hundreds, if not thousands, of children will needlessly die of malnutrition in coming months. The fact that, in some local government areas around 50% of children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and may need to be hospitalised to survive, is alarming. We need to raise the alarm immediately. Things are going to get worse.”

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British Red Cross

For over 150 years, the British Red Cross has helped people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. With millions of volunteers in over 190 countries, the British Red Cross is part of an international humanitarian Movement that’s there for people before, during and after a crisis. Together, we are the world’s emergency responders.