UNICEF- 244,000 Children May Suffer Acute Malnutrition

    According to Channels, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has called on all international agencies and the Nigerian government to help assist children guide against the risk of malnutrition. UNICEF’s Communications Officer in Nigeria, Doune Porter said, part of the assistance is to provide medical help for close to 250,000 children whom it says will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year if not treated.


    About 244,000 children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2016 in Borno State alone and if they are not reached with treatment, one out of five of them will die. UNICEF has said that it plans to scale-up its response in Borno State substantially, despite the temporary suspension of humanitarian aid in the state.

    UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough said in a statement that the fund cannot let a “heartless attack” divert it from reaching the more than two million people who are in dire need of immediate humanitarian assistance.

    On Friday, the International humanitarian aid was suspended in northeast Nigeria after militants ambushed the convoy of aid personnel working with UNICEF, UNFPA and IOM. The United Nations says the aid mission to Bama, in Borno State is temporarily suspended until a review of the security situation is complete.