One in four children under five in Shinkafi and Zurmi local government areas of Zamfara State, are malnourished, according to a June screening by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Ministry of Health. Out of 97,149 children screened, 27% were found to be acutely malnourished, with 5% suffering from severe acute malnutrition—far surpassing the World Health Organization’s ‘critical level’ for malnutrition.
MSF has called for urgent intervention from health authorities, international organizations, and donors to address the escalating crisis in Zamfara and Northwest Nigeria, which is not included in the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan.
The screening also showed 22% of children to be moderately malnourished, but treatment is unavailable due to UNICEF halting its supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) earlier this year. MSF warns that without urgent care, these children could progress to life-threatening malnutrition.
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Abdullahi Mohammad of MSF described the situation as catastrophic, urging an immediate and coordinated response to prevent more children from falling into severe malnutrition. MSF, which operates inpatient and outpatient facilities in Zamfara, treated over 7,000 children for malnutrition from January to July 2024—a 34% increase from the previous year. Admissions in Shinkafi and Zurmi have surged by 50%, and cases of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles have compounded the crisis.
MSF stressed the need for expanded healthcare facilities and the urgent resumption of RUTF supplies to save lives. The ongoing violence and insecurity in Zamfara have severely limited access to healthcare, with only 200 out of 700 health centers functioning. Communities face immense risks to reach these facilities amidst rising food prices and insecurity.
Despite these challenges, the region remains excluded from coordinated humanitarian aid. MSF calls for a rapid and scaled-up response to avert further disaster.
