Malnutrition Crisis Deepens for Millions of Nigerian Children Amid Northeast Conflict
Fifteen years of relentless armed conflict in north-east Nigeria have created a devastating and often invisible casualty crisis: the widespread malnutrition of millions of the country’s youngest citizens. Humanitarian officials warn that food insecurity is now threatening the lives of staggering numbers of children, painting a grim picture of the conflict’s long-term consequences.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), nearly 6.4 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition across the northeast, northwest, and north central regions. The crisis is most acute in hard-to-reach areas of Borno and Yobe states, where rates of severe acute malnutrition remain persistently high.
The human toll of these statistics is evident in the region’s nutritional stabilization centres. At a facility in Damaturu, Yobe State, 22-month-old Umar arrived barely conscious in his mother Zainab’s arms. His face and feet were grotesquely swollen, a telltale sign of nutritional edema a severe form of acute malnutrition caused by a prolonged lack of essential nutrients.
“I thought I was going to lose him,” Zainab recalled, describing her son’s struggle since birth to eat and gain weight.
Samira Hassan, a nurse at the Damaturu centre, explained the urgency of such cases. “The swelling was a sign of nutritional edema... Without urgent treatment, children with this condition rarely survive.”
Umar’s story is not an isolated one but reflects a broader, devastating trend fueled by displacement and the destruction of livelihoods. In Biu, south of Borno, Fatima, who was displaced from Sabon Gari, found herself caring for 13 children with no means to feed them.
“When we were displaced, we lost our source of livelihood,” she said. “We depended on neighbours and odd jobs just to eat.”
The link between displacement and malnutrition is direct, with children often the first to suffer. The humanitarian sector is struggling to keep pace as escalating violence and reduced funding collide with the growing needs of the population.
Bob Wonder Panama, an ICRC nutrition expert in Biu, noted the scale of the problem, stating that his centre treats an average of more than 1,000 children under five every year.
Recognizing that medical care alone is insufficient, the ICRC has adopted a comprehensive response that combines clinical treatment with long-term support for families. In 2025, the ICRC reported providing treatment for severe acute malnutrition to more than 348,000 people, including over 16,000 children under five, in primary care and stabilisation centres across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
Beyond immediate medical aid, the organization is working to address the root causes of the crisis. During the 2025 lean season, over 17,000 vulnerable families received cash assistance to meet urgent food needs. Agricultural support, including climate-smart seeds and solar-powered irrigation, reached over 168,000 people, while 26,000 persons received hygiene kits to help prevent disease outbreaks.
For families like Fatima's, this multifaceted support has been transformative. “Our situation changed when we received improved seeds during the rainy season and cash during the lean season,” she said. “We harvested enough corn, rice, and vegetables to feed the children three times a day.”
As the conflict in northeast Nigeria grinds on, it is the combination of medical care, agricultural support, and the hope of rain that keeps mothers like Zainab and Fatima going. Umar, now slowly recovering after receiving therapeutic feeding at the stabilization centre, is a testament to what is possible—and a stark reminder of what is at stake for millions of other children whose futures hang in the balance.
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