ICRC-supported health facilities record 18% rise in malnutrition cases
By Ahmed Ahmed
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says malnutrition cases recorded at six health centres and four hospitals it supports in north-east Nigeria rose by 18 per cent between January and September 2026.
The organisation disclosed that admissions increased from about 17,000 during the corresponding period in 2025 to nearly 20,000 in 2026, with young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers the most affected.
The information was contained in a statement issued by Aliyu Dawobe of the ICRC Abuja office on Thursday.
According to the statement, Mubi, Adamawa, recorded the sharpest increase, with admissions rising by nearly 24 per cent from about 4,600 in the first nine months of 2025 to approximately 5,700 in 2026.
It attributed the worsening situation to armed conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures that have disrupted livelihoods and reduced families’ access to food.
The statement quoted a farmer, Saminu Samiyu Ijaduwa, as saying the threat posed by explosive devices had forced him to cultivate only a small plot close to his home.
He said travelling about one kilometre outside town to farm could be dangerous because of the conflict.
The ICRC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross, supports 15 primary healthcare centres and four hospitals, assists more than 200 communities in treating malnutrition and implements food security programmes.
Its interventions include providing farmers with climate-resilient seeds, promoting crop diversity and teaching mothers to prepare nutritious meals.
The statement said a locally prepared mixture of sorghum, millet, soybeans, groundnuts and moringa, known as Tom Brown, had helped more than 13,000 children recover from moderate acute malnutrition.
It added that more than 34 million Nigerians were expected to face food insecurity in 2026, citing United Nations analysis that placed Nigeria among the world’s hunger hotspots of highest concern.
