The Borno State Government has committed $100,000 in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to combat the malnutrition crisis in the state.
UNICEF’s Chief of Borno Field Office, Tushar Rane, announced this during the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Borno government in Maiduguri on Friday.
He said the partnership aims to address the critical issue of malnutrition among children under the age of five and pregnant and lactating women through the provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
According to Rane, the 2023 Northeast Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance (NFSS) round 13 reports a Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) prevalence of 10.2% in Borno State, with Yobe and Adamawa states recording 8.0% and 4.0%, respectively.
He revealed that over 1.5 million children are estimated to be suffering from wasting, with 511,807 experiencing severe wasting in 2024.
Rane stated that the $100,000 committed by the Borno State Government will match UNICEF’s contribution to the funding.
“The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) is a step in the right direction. The Borno State Government has committed $100,000 in counterpart funding to match UNICEF’s contribution of the same amount.”
Rane emphasized that child wasting is a tragedy that requires an immediate and holistic response. “Climate change, conflict, and ignorance are contributing factors to this tragedy. In northeast Nigeria, the situation is not improving.
Between January and March 2024, the trend of acute malnutrition in children is around 40% higher than the same period last year. Over 460,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in 2023, a 37% increase from the same period in 2022.”
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to address malnutrition among children under five and pregnant and lactating women through RUTF provision.
“UNICEF commends the Borno State Government’s commitment to the CNF mechanism and looks forward to increased contributions next year,” he said.
The partnership is expected to make a significant impact on the lives of vulnerable children in the state, ensuring they receive the necessary nutrition to grow and thrive after over a decade of Boko Haram insurgency.
While the initial focus is on Borno State, plans are underway to extend the agreement to other northeastern states, with Yobe State already in the pipeline.
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