Malnutrition cases surge 18% in North-East as conflict pushes children into hunger — ICRC

By Chioma Obinna

Malnutrition cases recorded at health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, in North-East Nigeria have surged by 18 per cent in one year, with young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers bearing the brunt of worsening food insecurity.

The ICRC disclosed that admissions at six health centres and four hospitals it supports rose from about 17,000 between January and September 2025 to nearly 20,000 during the same period in 2026, amid persistent armed conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures that have made food increasingly difficult for vulnerable families to access.

The humanitarian organisation said the situation was particularly severe in Mubi, Adamawa State, where malnutrition admissions increased by nearly 24 per cent, from about 4,600 in the first nine months of 2025 to approximately 5,700 in the corresponding period this year.

Behind the figures are families struggling to feed their children, with some mothers seeking treatment for infants who have battled ill health since birth.

At the Mubi Stabilisation Centre, mothers queue with their young children for nutritional assessments. Among them is Zulaihatu Mohammed, who arrived with her six-month-old daughter, Huseina, one of her twins.

“When I gave birth to them, this one was tiny,” Zulaihatu said, explaining that she had visited the facility to collect food for her children but that Huseina was unwell.

“Since I gave birth to her, she has been unwell,” she added.

Her experience reflects the growing difficulties confronting families across the conflict-affected region, where insecurity has disrupted farming, livelihoods and access to markets, leaving many households struggling to provide adequate nutrition for their children.

For farmers, the threat posed by explosive devices has further restricted access to agricultural land, limiting food production and household income.

Saminu Samiyu Ijaduwa, a farmer in the region, said insecurity had forced him to cultivate only a small plot close to his home rather than risk travelling farther to his fields.

“Due to the conflict, going one kilometre out of town to farm could be highly risky. You might not return!” he said.

The inability to safely access farmland, coupled with disruptions to markets and economic hardship, has compounded food insecurity, with particularly severe consequences for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, whose nutritional needs are heightened.

The ICRC warned that the rising admissions underscore the continuing humanitarian consequences of more than 15 years of conflict in North-East Nigeria.

According to United Nations analysis cited by the organisation, more than 34 million people in Nigeria are expected to lack sufficient food to feed their families in 2026, the highest figure in six years.

The analysis also places Nigeria among the world’s hunger hotspots of highest concern, alongside Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza.

To address the crisis, the ICRC, working with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, supports 15 primary healthcare centres and four hospitals, while helping more than 200 communities treat malnutrition and strengthen their food security.

Its interventions include providing farmers with seeds suited to drought and flooding, promoting crop diversity and teaching mothers how to prepare nutritious meals from locally available ingredients.

One such intervention is Tom Brown, a nutritious blend of sorghum, millet, soybeans, groundnuts and moringa that has helped more than 13,000 young children recover from moderate acute malnutrition.

Mothers are also trained to prepare the blend themselves, enabling them to continue providing nutritious food for their children at home.

However, the latest figures highlight the scale of the challenge facing humanitarian and health workers as conflict, climate-related shocks and economic pressures continue to undermine food access in vulnerable communities.

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