In a stark call for immediate intervention, Mr. Mohamed Fall, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) in Nigeria, has highlighted the urgent need to address the malnutrition crisis threatening millions of children in the North East. Speaking on Monday during a visit to a Stabilisation Centre in Yola, Adamawa State, Fall emphasized the dire situation as part of the World Humanitarian Day (WHD2024) commemoration.
The theme for this year’s observance, #ActforHumanity, resonates deeply with the crisis at hand. According to UN-OCHA projections, 4.8 million people are expected to face food insecurity during the lean season, with 230,000 children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. A lean season response plan requiring $306 million has only secured 30% of the necessary funding.
“It is only fitting that as we mark World Humanitarian Day, we stand in solidarity with the children whose lives are at risk and the mothers who struggle to feed them,” Fall stated. “These children, forced into adult roles by circumstances, need our collective humanity.”
Fall urged partners and stakeholders to mobilize resources to combat the food insecurity and malnutrition plaguing Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. He described the scenes at the Stabilisation Centre, run by the government with support from the International Rescue Committee and UNICEF, as “heart-wrenching,” with babies fighting for their lives in conditions that should not be seen in today’s world.
“The cost of treatment is overwhelming for families, and the impact of malnutrition on children’s physical and intellectual development is devastating,” Fall warned. “Our ability to support these efforts is diminishing as global solidarity wanes, yet the need is greater than ever.”
Despite the challenges, Fall expressed hope in the collaborative efforts of the federal and state governments, alongside development partners, to bring relief to those in need. He lauded the humanitarian workers risking their lives to save others, calling the humanitarian space a true expression of humanity.
Sani Mohammed, a medical practitioner at the centre, reported that the facility receives an average of 96,000 patients annually, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
