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MSF: One out of every four children in Shinkafi and Zurmi malnourished.
MSF: One out of every four children in Shinkafi and Zurmi malnourished.
By: Michael Mike
One out of every four children under the age of five is malnourished in the Shinkafi and Zurmi areas of Zamfara state, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Ministry of Health have said.
A statement on Thursday by MSF otherwise called Doctors Without Borders, said according to a mass screening conducted in June by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Ministry of Health. Of the 97,149 children screened in 21 different urban and rural locations, 27 percent were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition, with five percent having severe acute malnutrition.
The statement added that: “These concerning figures far exceed the ‘critical level’ threshold established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding malnutrition prevalence. MSF urges health authorities, international organisations, and donors to immediately intensify their efforts to tackle the escalating malnutrition crisis in Zamfara state, as well as whole of Northwest Nigeria – a region not yet included in the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan.
“The mass screening held in June in the Shinkafi and Zurmi areas further revealed that about 22 per cent of children screened aremoderately malnourished. Currently, the nutritional suppliesessential to treat such children, also known as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), are unavailable, as UNICEF halted its supplies at the start of the year. This current lack of humanitarian response to treat those who are moderately malnourished in Northwest Nigeria risks the lives of these children who, without immediate care, will progress to severe acute malnutrition that threatens their survival and compromisestheir long-term health.”
Abdullahi Mohammad, an MSF representative in Nigeria, said: “The screening results from Shinkafi and Zurmi are nothing short of alarming, revealing a catastrophic malnutrition crisis across Northwest Nigeria,” declaring that: “The response to this overwhelming disaster is grossly insufficient. With malnutrition rates soaring beyond critical levels and no immediate treatment available for moderate acute malnutrition apart from at MSF facilities, we’re effectively letting more children fall into life-threatening conditions. It is crucial we ensure every child receives the medical care they desperately need.”
The statement said MSF currently runs four inpatient and 17 outpatient facilities in Shinkafi, Zurmi, Gummi and Talata Mafara in Zamfara – a state badly affected by malnutrition, noting that across all four inpatient facilities, MSF teams have treated over 7,000 children from January to July 2024. These figures for admissions are 34 per cent higher than for the same period in 2023. In Shinkafi and Zurmi, where MSF conducted the recent malnutrition screening, the increase in admissions is 50 per cent more than the same period last year. At the medical facility in Gummi, admissions in July 2024 were almost double compared to the same month last year.
Alongside the significant increase in malnutrition admissions, MSF teams are seeing high numbers of children with vaccine preventable diseases such as measles. In Zamfara, they have treated at least 5,700 measles cases so far this year. Infectious diseases like measles, malaria, and acute watery diarrhoea, severely compromise the nutritional status of children. In turn, malnutrition makes them far more susceptible to these illnesses, with a higher risk of death.
“When I first brought my son into the hospital, I didn’t know if he would survive,” says Hafsat Lawal, a mother whose child is beingtreated for malnutrition at an MSF facility in Zamfara. “Back at home because of the insecurity we don’t have food. The prices of food have more than doubled. If we had money, we would have bought some grains, but we cannot.”
Communities are facing high levels of violence in Zamfara and have told MSF teams that they are scared to move around the state, taking huge risks to reach functioning healthcare facilities.It is estimated by the health authorities that as of 2023, only about 200 out of 700 healthcare centres in Zamfara are accessible, and the rest are non-functional. One of the reasons being that healthcare workers struggle to reach them.
Despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis and facing high levels of insecurity, communities in the Northwest have long been excluded from coordinated humanitarian response. It is essential that health authorities in this area, alongside international organisations and donors, urgently scale up their response.Immediate expansion of health facilities is needed to treat malnourished children to ensure that more hospitals can offer the type of inpatient care desperately needed to save lives. Moreover, UNICEF, as the primary supplier of RUTF, must ensure the consistent and sufficient delivery of these essential therapeutic foods to prevent more children from falling victim to this crisis.
MSF: One out of every four children in Shinkafi and Zurmi malnourished.
Farmer shoots herder to death after farm dispute in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
A herder has been shot dead following an altercation with a farmer over grazing in Guwal Village, Kwaya Kusar Local Government Area of Borno State.
Zagazola Makama report that the incident occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on Dec. 15 when Adamu Salisu, aged 65, and his son, Salisu Adamu, aged 30, were harvesting crops on their farm.
The source said a herder, Saleh, aged 30, from Chalu Village, moved his cattle into the farm and began grazing on the farmer’s legumes, prompting a confrontation.
“An altercation ensued when Adamu Salisu cautioned the herder to remove his cattle. The herder then attacked the farmer and his son with a machete, injuring them on the hand,” the source said.
According to the source, the farmer retaliated by shooting the herder in the stomach with a Dane gun.
Saleh was evacuated to General Hospital, Kwaya Kusar by the police but was certified dead on arrival. The corpse was photographed and released to relatives for burial according to Islamic rites.
The farmer and his son received treatment for machete injuries sustained during the incident, while the suspect has been arrested and exhibits recovered.
Authorities have urged residents to seek peaceful resolution in disputes and to report any violent incidents to security agencies to prevent escalation.
Farmer shoots herder to death after farm dispute in Borno
Gombe: Ex-PDP guber candidate announces defection to ADC
Mr Jibrin Barde, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe, in the 2023 General Election has formally announced his defection to the African Democratic Party(ADC).
Barde made the announcement in Gombe on Tuesday night during a chat with journalists in the state.
The announcement puts to rest, series of speculations about Barde’s actual party after leading some opposition blocs in July, to adopt ADC as a party for opposition coalition in the state.
Speaking about his defection, he said that he had since left the PDP early 2025 to join ADC with the mission to challenge the All Progressives Congress-led government in the state.
He said that though there had been speculations around the political party he belonged, with some speculating that he was a member of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“I don’t have any stint with the SDP; I was a member of the PDP, I left the PDP early this year.
“There had been speculations across the state, nobody is aware of anything but of course I have left the PDP.
” I have been a member of the ADC formally since early this year.
“I am a member of the ADC and anybody who claims not to be a member of the ADC should come and show his membership card.
“This is my membership card and I am ready to revalidate it,” he said.
Speaking on his role in opposition coalition, Barde said that he had been working in collaboration with other opposition coalition members to bring together all the parties.
He said that except opposition parties in the state worked together and stayed united on a course, it would be difficult to oust the APC government.
“I call on members of the ADC in the state to come together and let us get this coalition stronger, that is what has happened at the national level.”
He said that the ADC ran an open door policy and did not believe in imposition as the party remains one-man one-vote party.
Barde said that Atiku Abubakar, Nasiru El-Rufai and Rauf Aregbesola had joined the ADC long ago. “What we are going to do now is revalidation of membership and mobilisation of new members.”
He called on the members of the PDP and all other opposition parties in the state to join the coalition movement to oust the All Progressives Congress at the state and national level.
Barde assured residents of Gombe State of good governance should the ADC form the next government, saying: “If we had taken over our government in 2023, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Gombe: Ex-PDP guber candidate announces defection to ADC
Gombe, UNICEF upgrade PHCs to improve maternal, child care
The Gombe State government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has begun revitalising three primary healthcare facilities in Akko, Kwami, and Dukku Local Government Areas (LGAs).
Dr Habu Dahiru, the state’s Commissioner of Health, made the announcement on Wednesday during a ceremony marking the official handover of the facilities to contractors.
He said the government was focusing on upgrading all primary healthcare centres, as they served as the first point of care for patients in communities.
Dahiru explained that the revitalisation aimed to bring the facilities to level two standards, including climate-friendly structures, staff quarters, water supply, and solar-powered electricity.
UNICEF is supporting one facility in each of the three LGAs, with contractors mobilised to begin work and a completion timeline of three months.
The commissioner said the upgraded facilities would enhance maternal and infant care, particularly in labour rooms, pharmacies, and laboratories, benefiting overall community health services.
He urged community leaders in the three LGAs to cooperate with contractors to ensure timely completion of the project.
Dahiru commended UNICEF and other development partners for their contributions to improving healthcare for residents of Gombe State.
Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, said the project strengthened the healthcare system and aimed to save the lives of mothers and newborns.
She added that operational, well-equipped facilities attracted communities to seek care, stressing that access to water, toilets, and comfortable service areas improved utilisation.
Rafique hailed the partnership between Gombe State government and UNICEF in efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality across the state.
She noted that solar power, water supply, WASH systems, and facility service areas would be revitalised, urging stakeholders to ensure quality work for lasting community benefit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PHCs were handed over to the contractors by the Gombe State government and UNICEF for the commencement of works.
Gombe, UNICEF upgrade PHCs to improve maternal, child care
Farmer shoots herder to death after farm dispute in Borno
Gombe: Ex-PDP guber candidate announces defection to ADC
Gombe, UNICEF upgrade PHCs to improve maternal, child care
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