The International Committee of the Red Cross says admissions for malnutrition have risen by 18 per cent at its supported health facilities in the North-East, increasing from 17,000 cases in 2025 to nearly 20,000 in 2026.

The ICRC said this in a statement on Thursday, signed by its spokesman, Aliyu Dawobe, highlighting the growing burden of malnutrition in north-east Nigeria.

Mr Dawobe said the cases were recorded between January and September across six health centres and four hospitals supported by the ICRC, highlighting worsening nutritional challenges among vulnerable populations in conflict-affected communities.

According to him, young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are among the groups hardest hit by rising malnutrition, as conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures continue to undermine household food security.

“In Mubi, Adamawa, malnutrition admissions increased by nearly 24 per cent, rising from approximately 4,600 cases between January and September 2025 to about 5,700 during the same period in 2026.

“At the Mubi Stabilisation Centre, mothers bring their children for nutritional assessments and treatment, while some also collect specialised food provided to support the recovery of malnourished children,” he said.

Mr Dawobe said one of the mothers, Zulaihatu Mohammed, brought her six-month-old daughter, Huseina, one of her twins, for routine food collection and assessment because the child had been unwell since birth.

Ms Mohammed said, “When I gave birth to them, this one was tiny.”

She explained that she had visited the centre to collect children’s food and sought help for her ailing daughter.

According to him, her experience reflects the difficulties confronting families across northeast Nigeria, where prolonged armed conflict, climate-related shocks and economic hardship have disrupted livelihoods, reduced food access and increased malnutrition risks.

Mr Dawobe said farmer Saminu Ijaduwa reported that insecurity had forced him to restrict cultivation to a small plot near his home, limiting farming opportunities and food production.

He said restricted farmland access and disrupted markets made obtaining adequate food increasingly difficult for families, with particularly serious consequences for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

According to him, the ICRC’s interventions combine malnutrition treatment with community-based food security initiatives to improve access to nutritious meals and help vulnerable households cope with conflict-related challenges.

Mr Dawobe said the statement was issued to commemorate World Food Day, observed annually on October 16, as concerns mount over worsening food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable populations in northeast Nigeria.

(NAN)