No fewer than 88,000 children in Nigeria’s North East region are at risk of dying through Severe Acute Malaria SAM unless urgent steps are taken so says UNICEF.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) who gave the alarming figures on Friday during a five-day Nutrition in Emergency Training in Maiduguri, also warned that some 230,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as one million children are severely malnourished and need urgent aid.

Nigeria’s North East has been ravaged by conflict, with the dreaded Boko Haram wreaking havoc especially in three major states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

Although military authorities have claimed the terrorists have been decimated to a large extent, the rising number of Internally Displaced Persons IDP’s in these regions tell a different story.

UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer in Borno state, Geoffrey Ijumba said over 1.5 million people lack access to safe water in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states which according to him has caused thousands of vulnerable children in the insurgency affected states to become acutely malnourished.

“Well-nourished children are resilient in the face of diseases and disasters, but in the case of the three states, over 1.5 million people lack access to safe water in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. This has caused thousands of vulnerable children in the insurgency affected states to become acutely malnourished.

“This is after repeated bouts of diarrhea, including the outbreaks of cholera that recently claimed 65 lives,” he said.

He assured that the UN body will continue to support the region towards the provision of palliatives and as well as curative nutrition activities.

Photo Source: Glassdoor