THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern over the number of admission of severely malnourished children in the northeast as a result of severe food senators.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Aliyu Dawobe, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of ICRC in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The Red Cross said that the rise in the number of malnourished children was recorded between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024.
The ICRC said that the increase was part of a trend affecting the entire Lake Chad Basin region.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, the Red Cross estimated that 6.1 million people will not have enough to eat in the coming months due in part to both conflict and climate, the highest figure in four years.
“The rise in the number of people without enough food mirrors an increase in violence, which has severely impacted communities’ ability to grow crops and access markets.
“Violent incidents in the Lake Chad region in the first half of 2024 rose 58 percent compared with the same period in 2023.
“Climate hazards are also preventing people from growing crops and accessing their farmland and markets, contributing to a food security crisis being felt across Lake Chad: in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
“ In northeast, the start of the harvest season coincided this year with heavy floods that washed away seeds and all hope of harvest after an especially dry lean season,’’ the Red Cross said.
Also, Mr Yann Bonzon, ICRC’s Head of Delegation in Nigeria said that the consequences of spiralling violence and climate variability are devastating for families trying to feed themselves.
Bonzon said that they saw the proof in the health facilities they support, where the rising number of children with severe acute malnutrition is heartbreaking.
According to him, in September, the ICRC expanded its efforts to curb malnutrition rates by supporting two additional health centres for malnourished children in Yobe and Adamawa states.
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