…says many children are dying within 48 hours
An international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors without Borders, says the level of humanitarian support available to respond to people’s critical needs in northern Nigeria is in dramatic decline.
It said a humanitarian crisis persists, with catastrophic levels of malnutrition and recurrent outbreaks of preventable diseases in the northwest.
Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi have been hit by the persistent violence, mainly armed banditry and kidnappings
A statement by the organisation on Tuesday, however, noted that the situation is largely being ignored by donors and aid organisations.
“Over recent years, more than 600,000 people have been displaced from their homes in northwest Nigeria as a result of extreme violence, deteriorating economic conditions, and climate change.
“Despite encouraging signs of mobilization from humanitarian actors and donors in 2023, MSF warns that the funding and aid currently available are vastly insufficient for people’s growing humanitarian needs.
“While both northeast and northwest regions remain affected by high levels of malnutrition and preventable diseases, the non-inclusion of the latter in all previous Humanitarian Response Plans is alarming,” the statement reads in part.
the funding and aid currently available are vastly insufficient for people’s growing humanitarian needs
The MSF head of mission, Ahmed Bilal said, “We have repeatedly expressed our concerns to the UN and donors about the alarming and deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the northwest.
“The lack of recognition of the crisis is having a severe impact on the health and humanitarian needs of the population, and delaying the response which is desperately needed.”
People living in the states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi have been hit by the persistent violence, mainly armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.
Last year, more than 2,000 people were killed in more than 1,000 violent incidents in the region, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
more than 600,000 people have been displaced from their homes in northwest Nigeria as a result of extreme violence, deteriorating economic conditions, and climate change
Also, people have lost their livelihoods, and are often no longer able to reach their farms for security reasons.
“The crisis has seen rates of malnutrition and other diseases spiral. It is estimated that around 2.6 million children have Severe Acute Malnutrition in the country, from which 532,163 are in Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara according to national nutritional surveys conducted by UNICEF and other authorities.
“Last year, MSF medical teams working in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Kano states treated 171,465 malnourished children as outpatients and admitted 32,104 children for life-threatening severe acute malnutrition – a 14 per cent rise on the previous year.
“In Katsina, MSF found high levels of acute malnutrition in 2023, with 17.4 per cent of the surveyed children suffering from acute malnutrition in Jibia Local Government Area at the beginning of the lean season, so not even when access to food is the most difficult.
It is estimated that around 2.6 million children have Severe Acute Malnutrition in Nigeria, from which 532,163 are in Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara
“The high rate of admissions to inpatient facilities has been accompanied by alarming mortality rates, as was the case in one of our supported facilities in Zamfara state where it reached 23.1 per cent.
“Sadly, many children are dying within 48 hours after arriving in critical conditions, too late to be saved due to the barriers in reaching healthcare.
“Overall, 854 children admitted to MSF facilities in the northwest died 24 to 48-hour after admission in 2023,” MSF noted.
The NGO said security constraints are making it increasingly hard for aid agencies to gain access to certain areas, while escalating violence is impacting and sometimes preventing their work.
Last September, MSF teams in Zamfara state were forced to stop supporting an inpatient nutrition facility in Anka, and in December, MSF staff were temporarily evacuated from Zurmi due to heavy fighting taking place next to the hospital.
priority should be given to preventing and treating malnutrition, and to vaccinating people against preventable diseases
It added that in 2023, there were some small signs from donors and aid organisations of increasing interest and mobilisation in northwest Nigeria. However, the funding has not been forthcoming and, in a climate of global aid cuts, the few aid agencies working in the region do not have the capacity to scale up their work.
“We are very alarmed about forthcoming reductions in funding activities for some organisations amid global cuts to humanitarian assistance,” said MSF country representative, Dr. Simba Tirima.
“While MSF does not rely on governmental or institutional funds for its activities, this is not the case for most aid organisations in the northwest, whose funding depends heavily on the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan.
“There were hopeful signs for the northwest last year, but a series of opportunities have been missed and the same cannot happen again in 2024.
“This year might become the worst year yet in terms of humanitarian needs and suffering for the population.”
In order to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable populations, MSF believes that priority should be given to preventing and treating malnutrition, and to vaccinating people against preventable diseases, including improving routine and catch-up immunisations and carrying out reactive vaccination campaigns in response to ongoing disease outbreaks.
“This is paramount for reducing morbidity and mortality amongst vulnerable population particularly children under five years.
“Faced with the prospect of an alarming 2024, MSF calls upon the humanitarian community and Nigerian government to urgently mobilise across northwest Nigeria, where access is possible, to respond to this neglected humanitarian emergency,” it stated.
In 2023, MSF teams across Nigeria treated 202,083 malnourished children in outpatient feeding programmes and provided inpatient care to 52,124 children with severe acute malnutrition.
