Malnutrition among children in Northwest Nigeria has prompted fresh support from the United States government, which has provided $5 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, to boost ongoing humanitarian efforts in the region.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the US Mission to Nigeria, the funding is expected to enable UNICEF to deliver lifesaving nutrition assistance to no fewer than 70,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition.
The Mission explained that the intervention will be channeled into essential supplies such as ready-to-use therapeutic food, medicine, and other critical humanitarian items required to treat children in distress.
“The State Department provided $5m to UNICEF to deliver lifesaving nutrition support to at least 70,000 children with acute malnutrition in Northwest Nigeria,” the statement read. “These funds will be used by UNICEF to provide ready-to-use food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies. This commitment to donate lifesaving assistance affirms US global leadership, strength, and compassion.”
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Communities in the North-West continue to grapple with food insecurity and severe malnutrition, conditions that have been worsened by persistent conflict, displacement, and restricted access to farmland and health services.
These challenges have left thousands of children vulnerable and in urgent need of support.
UNICEF has been running nutrition programmes across the region, supplying therapeutic food and medical items to treat acute malnutrition and working with local partners to improve access to care.
The latest US contribution reinforces ongoing international efforts to protect vulnerable children and support humanitarian agencies operating in crisis-affected communities across Nigeria.
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