Conflict, climate change worsening malnutrition in north-east, says ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says cases of severe malnutrition have risen in north-east Nigeria due to the effects of conflict and climate change on food production.

“Clinics report a 24 percent increase in the number of young children suffering from malnutrition compared to the previous year,” the organisation said in a report.

“The upward trend is a worrying sign that families in the Lake Chad region increasingly struggle to put food on the table,” the report reads.

The ICRC said in the second quarter of the year, it registered a 48 percent increase in severe acute malnutrition with medical complications among children under five in health facilities it supports compared to the same period in 2023.

The ICRC said it has been providing clinical care and therapeutic food to the centres.

According to humanitarian agencies` estimates, 6.1 million people in the Lake Chad region will experience food shortages in the coming months due to conflict and the effects of climate change — the highest number in four years.

“The protracted armed conflict, which has intensified in the first half of the year, is one of the main drivers behind the deteriorating food crisis,” the agency said.

“It has displaced millions, destroyed livelihoods, and is severely impacting access to agricultural land.

“The region’s heavy reliance on subsistence farming made it vulnerable to the effects of climate change, like irregular rainfall, which also considerably hampers food production.”

The ICRC said it has also been working with the national Red Cross societies and local authorities to provide emergency cash and help communities build resilience, distributing seeds and tools, and vaccinating cattle.

“We are trying to strengthen our support, but the needs are way beyond what we can achieve,” said Francesca Piccin, the head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Adamawa state.