Report highlights imminent death risk for 96,000 children due to malnutrition

Overwhelming food crisis predicted for six northern states by year-end

A recent study by the international non-governmental organization Save the Children International has raised significant alarm over a looming humanitarian crisis in Northern Nigeria.

The study warns that over 96,000 children are at risk of death before the end of this year in six northern states primarily due to acute malnutrition. This devastating figure immediately highlights the failure of governments at all levels to adequately provide for their citizens.

Save the Children International, alongside partner organizations including PLAN International, Action Against Hunger in Nigeria, and OXFAM, is predicting a catastrophic public health emergency. The six states facing this devastating crisis are Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara. The organizations drew attention to the rapidly growing cases of acute malnutrition in these areas, stressing that the situation will become catastrophic within a few months if urgent steps are not taken.

Acute malnutrition figures signify a daily tragedy

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Country Director of Save the Children International, Duncan Harvey, provided the stark figures, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Harvey stated that without immediate access to lifesaving treatment, the six affected states could lose 96,000 children to death between October and December 2025 due to severe acute malnutrition. This projected figure translates to an alarming rate of over 1,000 children dying every single day within that three-month period.

The organization also revealed that the crisis is not limited to children alone. Approximately 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in the same six northern states are also categorized as being at high risk of acute malnutrition. Harvey described the situation as a “nationwide emergency” due to escalating challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. Nigeria currently faces the largest food crisis globally, with more than 31 million people projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025.

Experts call for urgent funding and long-term solutions

The Country Director for Action Against Hunger Nigeria, Thierno Samba Diallo, offered specific recommendations to immediately combat the crisis. He suggested that funds should be made readily available for lifesaving nutrition commodities. These critical resources include Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTP) and Therapeutic Milk, which are locally produced and scientifically proven to save the lives of malnourished children.

Diallo also emphasized that preventing severe malnutrition is paramount because it has irreversible impacts on physical growth, cognitive development, and national economic productivity. Furthermore, he recommended a focus on long-term funding and implementing nexus approaches that link humanitarian aid with peace and development efforts. This integrated strategy is essential for achieving sustained nutrition security and overall development.

Broader implications and the role of insecurity

The alarming report has sparked discussions about the underlying factors and the risk of the crisis spreading to other regions. Some experts believe that further studies would reveal that more states, including those in the southern part of the country, are also exposed to this impending danger. There is a strong consensus that states in the North Central region, such as Benue, Plateau, Niger, and Kogi, known for agricultural production, may soon experience similar problems.

Many Nigerians argue that the key solution to averting the impending hunger crisis, which inevitably leads to malnutrition, is for the government to tackle insecurity headlong. The ravaging activities of kidnappers, bandits, and militant herdsmen in rural areas prevent farmers from accessing their farmlands and producing food for the populace. Without a secure environment, food production is drastically reduced.

Economic policies and the call to action for the government

An educationist in Katsina State, Abdullahi Umar, supported the report’s findings, noting that insecurity has worsened the traditional periods of food shortage in the North. He lamented that the high cost of living, exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy, has further heightened the food crisis. This situation makes it nearly impossible for poor families to afford nutritious food, including essential baby formula.

A lawyer and public affairs commentator, Nnanna Nwkamma, also pointed to the government’s economic policies, alongside insecurity, as a major contributory factor. He noted that the high cost of baby food, which has skyrocketed due to inflation, makes it unattainable for low-income households, leading them to resort to whatever is available, initiating the problem of malnutrition. The calls to the government are twofold: to immediately provide food and children’s supplements to poor families and to declare a total war against enemies of the state to ensure farmers can return to their farms in peace.