UNICEF – Children Battling with Hunger in Northeast
By Roselyn James
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed anxiety about the concerning rate of acute malnutrition among children due to limited access for relief workers in the Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to the UN Agency, continuous violence has made it harder for households to grow food on their farms, which has led to a rise in food insecurity.
Shortly after the weekend’s field trip to Marte LGA in Borno State, UNICEF Emergency Manager Andrea Malatesta made this announcement. He declared, “An immediate, comprehensive response is required to address the rising rates of malnutrition that children in northeastern Nigeria are facing.
“The biggest obstacle is still insecurity. Since New Marte can only be reached by road, humanitarian activities mostly depend on military escort to move personnel, commodities, and other essential resources to help the local community that has been impacted by violence.
The secure movement of people and commodities in this area is necessitated by military escorts or safety sweeps due to security concerns.
“But there may be risks and vulnerabilities because these escorts are not always available or dependable.”
According to Andrea, a lot of homes don’t always have access to the nutrient-dense food they require, so many of them turn to coping mechanisms like skipping meals.
“We are ensuring that the therapeutic food, nutrients, and drugs that children with SAM require are available with the help of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). The high prevalence of MAM and SAM is a result of children and pregnant and breastfeeding moms not having access to nutrient-rich food, which is essential to their survival and development.
In 2023, more than 460,000 children in Borno State Adamawa, and Yobe received treatment for acute malnutrition. 8,605 children between the ages of 6 and 59 months have had malnutrition screenings thus far this year.
2,156 undernourished children were found via these screening procedures, admitted into the nutrition program, and made a full recovery. (798 cases of mild acute malnutrition and 1,358 cases of severe acute malnutrition). Andrea gave an explanation..
He mentioned that the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) program, run by UNICEF and its partner Monclub International, is being used to make sure that no child in New Marte perishes from cholera, water-borne infections, or hunger.
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