Malnutrition cases recorded at health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross in North-East Nigeria increased by 18 per cent within a year, raising concerns over the worsening nutritional conditions of children and vulnerable women.
The organisation disclosed that admissions across six health centres and four hospitals under its support rose from about 17,000 between January and September 2025 to nearly 20,000 during the same period in 2026.
The figures were contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the ICRC representatives, Aliyu Dawobe in Abuja and Mateo Jaramillo in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of World Food Day, observed annually on October 16.
World Food Day highlights global efforts to improve food systems and promote sustainable access to adequate nutrition.
The ICRC’s warning comes as more than 34 million Nigerians are projected to experience hunger in 2026, according to United Nations analysis referenced in the statement.
The analysis identifies Nigeria among the world’s hunger hotspots of greatest concern, alongside Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza.
According to the organisation, 15 years of conflict have contributed significantly to worsening food insecurity in Nigeria, disrupting livelihoods and limiting access to food in affected communities.
The situation has been particularly severe in Mubi, Adamawa State, where malnutrition admissions increased by nearly 25 per cent, rising from approximately 4,600 in the first nine months of 2025 to about 5,700 in the corresponding period of 2026.
At the Mubi Stabilisation Centre, the organisation observed mothers arriving with their young children for nutritional assessments, reflecting the growing demand for treatment.
The ICRC attributed the deteriorating situation across the North-East to the combined effects of armed conflict, climate-related shocks and economic hardship, which have made it increasingly difficult for families to secure sufficient food.
Insecurity has also restricted agricultural activities, with some farmers limiting cultivation to fields close to their homes to reduce the risks associated with travelling to distant farmlands.
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A farmer, Saminu Ijaduwa, described the dangers confronting farmers, particularly the threat posed by explosive devices.
“Due to the conflict, going one kilometre out of town to farm could be highly risky. You might not return,” Ijaduwa said.
The organisation explained that restricted access to farms and disruptions to markets had further weakened households’ ability to obtain adequate food, leaving young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers especially vulnerable to malnutrition.
To address the challenge, the ICRC said it was working with the Nigerian Red Cross to support 15 primary healthcare centres and four hospitals, while assisting more than 200 communities with malnutrition treatment and food security programmes.
Its interventions include distributing seeds suited to drought and flooding conditions, encouraging farmers to cultivate different crops and educating mothers on preparing nutritious meals using locally available ingredients.
The organisation also promotes the production of a nutritional food mixture made from sorghum, millet, soybeans, groundnuts and moringa, commonly known as Tom Brown.
“The interventions include providing farmers with seeds adapted to drought and flooding, promoting crop diversity and teaching mothers how to prepare nutritious meals at home.
“One of the initiatives involves producing a blend of sorghum, millet, soybeans, groundnuts and moringa, known as Tom Brown,” the statement read.
Through these initiatives, the ICRC said it had helped more than 13,000 young children recover from moderate acute malnutrition.
It added that mothers were trained to prepare the nutritional mixture themselves, enabling them to continue feeding their children adequately beyond the period of direct assistance.
“Mothers are also taught how to prepare the mixture themselves to ensure they can continue providing nutritious food for their children,” the statement added.