MSF Warns Child Malnutrition Crisis Deepening In Kebbi, Thousands At Risk

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised the alarm over a worsening child malnutrition crisis in Kebbi State, warning that thousands of children are at risk as cases of severe acute malnutrition continue to rise.

The international medical humanitarian organisation said the situation has deteriorated sharply over the past year, with a significant increase in severe malnutrition cases recorded between 2024 and 2025, raising fears of more preventable child deaths.

The warning was contained in a statement signed by MSF Field Communication Officer, Abdulkareem Yakubu.

MSF Nigeria Country Coordinator, Stuart Alexander Zimble, described malnutrition as one of the biggest killers of children under the age of five in Kebbi State and called for urgent intervention.

“Malnutrition remains alarmingly widespread in Kebbi State and is a leading cause of death among children under five. Authorities and humanitarian actors must urgently increase their support to prevent further avoidable deaths,” Zimble said.

Quoting UNICEF data, MSF said about 30 newborns and 100 children under five die every day in Kebbi State, with nearly half of those deaths linked to malnutrition.

The organisation said the crisis is being driven by a combination of chronic malnutrition, widespread malaria infections and poor immunisation coverage, noting that only 7.4 per cent of children under the age of two are fully vaccinated.

MSF said the scale of the crisis became clearer after it suspended admissions for children with moderate acute malnutrition in September 2024 to focus limited resources on severe cases.

According to the organisation, outpatient treatment for severe acute malnutrition increased by 41 per cent, while hospital admissions for severe cases rose by 39 per cent.

“We sadly observed that children who initially presented with moderate malnutrition deteriorated and later returned with severe, often life-threatening symptoms,” Zimble said.

To curb the growing crisis, MSF has launched a preventive nutrition programme using Tom Brown, a locally produced nutritional supplement made from sorghum, soya beans and groundnuts, to stop moderate malnutrition from progressing into severe acute malnutrition.

The organisation plans to distribute about 20,000 kilograms of the nutritional blend in Jega and Maiyama local government areas, targeting children aged between six months and five years.

MSF estimates that more than 16,000 children will benefit from the programme by the end of 2026.

The humanitarian organisation called on the federal and Kebbi State governments, development partners and aid agencies to scale up investment in community-based nutrition programmes, warning that insecurity, weak healthcare services, climate-related shocks and worsening livelihoods continue to fuel the humanitarian crisis.

It added that the initiative would be closely monitored and expanded to other parts of Kebbi State if it proves successful.