400,000 Nigerian children at risk of death from malnutrition – UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that over 400,000 children in Nigeria could die within weeks due to severe acute malnutrition, unless urgent interventions are made. The agency said 3.5 million children across the country are currently suffering from the condition.
UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Field Operations and Emergencies, Judith Leveille, raised the alarm during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. She said Nigeria faces a critical shortage of essential nutrition commodities, with a total stockout expected by September 1, 2025.
“We have one month and eight days to prevent the avoidable deaths of more than 400,000 children. These are future scientists, musicians, and leaders. Ready-to-use therapeutic food is urgently needed,” Leveille stressed.
She described the situation in nutrition stabilisation centres across the North as dire, noting that facilities are overstretched even before the peak of the lean season. In Sokoto, she said over 100 malnourished children were recently found in need of immediate treatment.
The Director of the Nigeria INGO Forum, Camilla Higgins, also highlighted a surge in malnutrition cases, particularly in the North-East and North-West. “Some areas have seen a 73% increase in admissions. International support is dwindling, and local capacity is overstretched,” she said, urging government leadership and coordination.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Head of Mission, Bilal Ahmad, said many treatment centres are overwhelmed. In Katsina, he noted that bed capacity had to be doubled from 450 to 900 to accommodate patients, with some centres placing two children per bed.
Ahmad added that mortality rates from malnutrition range between 3.7% and 7.7%, and many children arrive too late for life-saving care. He called for more decentralised centres and increased supply of therapeutic food.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu, said the federal government is committed to transparency and stronger international collaboration to address the crisis. He assured partners of accountability in humanitarian efforts.
