Millions of Children Face Malnutrition in North-East – ICRC

By Abubakar Mala Gajibo 

Millions of children in Nigeria’s conflict-affected regions are facing severe malnutrition as food insecurity worsens, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The humanitarian organization says nearly 6.4 million children under the age of five across the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions are suffering from acute malnutrition, largely due to the impact of the 15-year conflict in the North-East.

The ICRC notes that children, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, are among the most vulnerable, particularly in hard-to-reach communities in Borno State and Yobe State.

Health workers at a stabilization centre in Damaturu say many children arrive in critical condition and require urgent treatment with therapeutic feeding and medical care.

The organization says it treats more than one thousand children under five every year at nutrition centres supported in the region.

According to the ICRC, the rise in malnutrition is linked to displacement, loss of livelihoods and limited access to farmland caused by ongoing insecurity.

The humanitarian agency adds that medical treatment alone is not enough, stressing the need for broader support including farming assistance, improved water supply, hygiene promotion and cash support for vulnerable families.

In 2025 alone, the ICRC says over 348,000 people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states received treatment for severe acute malnutrition at health facilities supported by the organization.

The agency is calling for sustained humanitarian assistance to help families cope with the growing food crisis in the region.