In a stark warning, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that an estimated 400,000 Nigerian children under the age of five are at risk of d€ath from severe acute malnutrition if urgent intervention is not implemented.
According to UNICEF, the growing humanitarian crisis, particularly in conflict-affected regions of the North-East and North-West, has worsened the already dire nutritional situation. Factors such as insecurity, displacement, food insecurity, poverty, and poor healthcare access are driving the alarming malnutrition rates.
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, stressed the urgency of the situation:
“Every child suffering from severe acute malnutrition is fighting to survive. These are preventable d€aths if we act swiftly and decisively.”
The agency has called on the Nigerian government, private sector, and international partners to scale up nutrition-focused funding and support, warning that failure to act will lead to catastrophic consequences.
UNICEF is currently appealing for more than $270 million to provide therapeutic food, medical treatment, and essential services for vulnerable children across Nigeria in 2025.
Stakeholders have urged authorities to treat the crisis with the seriousness it deserves, as malnutrition remains one of the leading causes of child mortality in Nigeria.
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