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Nigeria Admissions of malnourished children rise amid 4-year high in food insecurity due to conflict and climate
Nigeria Admissions of malnourished children rise amid 4-year high in food insecurity due to conflict and climate
By: Our Reporter
Admissions of severely malnourished children in health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in northeast Nigeria have increased by 24% between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024.
This increase is part of a trend affecting the entire Lake Chad Basin region, where an estimated 6.1 million people will not have enough to eat in the coming months due in part to both conflict and climate, the highest figure in four years.
The rise in the number of people without enough food mirrors an increase in violence, which has severely impacted communities’ ability to grow crops and access markets. Violent incidents in the Lake Chad region in the first half of 2024 rose 58% compared with the same period in 2023.
Climate hazards are also preventing people from growing crops and accessing their farmland and markets, contributing to a food security crisis being felt across Lake Chad – in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. In northeast Nigeria, the start of the harvest season coincided this year with heavy floods that washed away seeds and all hope of harvest after an especially dry lean season.
“The consequences of spiraling violence and climate variability are devastating for families trying to feed themselves. We see the proof in the health facilities we support, where the rising number of children with severe acute malnutrition is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, they only represent a fraction of those in need across the region,” said Yann Bonzon, ICRC’s head of delegation in Nigeria.
In September, the ICRC expanded its efforts to curb malnutrition rates by supporting two additional health centers for malnourished children in Yobe and Adamawa states, northeast Nigeria. This will allow medical teams to provide a range of key services including consultations, nutritional screenings, and treatment for malnourished children with complications.
The ICRC, alongside with its partners from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, carries out activities assisting millions of people impacted by the combining effects of conflict and climate across the Lake Chad Basin. In northeast Nigeria in 2024, 187’000 people benefited from assistance in response to food shortages, delivered by the ICRC and the Nigeria Red Cross Society.
“We are increasing our humanitarian assistance, but we are afraid it is not going to be enough, because the needs are so much higher than the help we are able to provide,” said Alhaji Abubakar Kende, Secretary General of the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
The ICRC reminds all parties to armed conflicts that it is their responsibility under international humanitarian law (IHL), to ensure that people living in the territories under their control can meet their essential needs, including food, water, medical care, and access to farmland and markets. The ICRC engages all parties to armed conflicts on the respect for IHL, including in their conduct of hostilities. Indeed, IHL violations can negatively impact food security by disrupting access to fields and markets, restricting seasonal movement of livestock, and limiting access of humanitarian actors to communities in need.
Nigeria Admissions of malnourished children rise amid 4-year high in food insecurity due to conflict and climate
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Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
By: Zagazola Makama
Grief and solemn reflection have trailed the tragic loss of a Commanding Officer and six gallant soldiers of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), whose lives were cut short shortly after successfully repelling a terrorist attack in Monguno, Borno.
In the late hours of April 12, troops of Sector 3, Joint Task Force (North East), came under an isolated infiltration attempt at Charlie 13 location. With courage and determination, the soldiers engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, eventually forcing them to flee and securing the area.
But even in victory, tragedy struck. Driven by an unyielding sense of duty and deep concern for his men, the Commanding Officer chose to move forward, towards the very danger others would avoid, to personally assess the situation on ground. It was a decision that reflected the very essence of true leadership: to lead from the front, to share in the risks, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with his troops.
In that moment of selfless courage, his vehicle encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), killing him and six of his men. Their loss is not just a statistic, it is a profound human tragedy.
They were fathers, brothers, sons, and comrades. They were men who wore the nation’s uniform with pride, who stood in the face of danger so others could sleep in peace. They did not retreat when confronted with terror; instead, they stood firm, defended their ground, and ultimately gave everything.
The silence they leave behind echoes loudly across the ranks.
Operation HADIN KAI, in a statement by its Media Information Officer, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, expressed deep sorrow, describing the fallen officer as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty. Their ultimate sacrifice, the statement noted, will forever remain etched in the memory of the Armed Forces and the nation they served with honour.
As the country mourns these heroes, their bravery lives on not only in the victory they secured that night, but in the enduring reminder that freedom and security are often paid for with the highest price.
Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have rescued a kidnap victim during a patrol operation in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi.
Zagazola report that the rescue was carried out at about 2:07 p.m. on April 10 by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Egbe.
Sources said the troops, while on patrol within the general area of Aaru Cashew Plantation, located the victim who had been abandoned by his captors.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the victim was abducted on April 1 at Ejiba Community in the same local government area.
He further disclosed that the kidnappers fled and abandoned him upon sighting troops advancing towards the Dadi Kowa general area.
The victim was subsequently debriefed and safely reunited with his family.
Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi
Troops foil motorcycle snatching attempt, rescue victims in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 4 Demonstration Battalion have foiled an attempted motorcycle snatching and rescued two civilians along the Zaria–Kaduna highway in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 5:45 a.m. on April 10 near Old Berger Camp.
The sources disclosed that troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Birnin Yero responded swiftly to a distress call about an attack on two civilians riding a motorcycle towards Zaria.
“On arrival, the troops discovered that the victims had been forced to stop by a vehicle conveying suspected criminals, who were in the process of loading the motorcycle into their car trunk.
“However, the criminals abandoned the motorcycle and fled the scene upon sighting the troops,” the source said.
The injured victims were evacuated for medical attention, while the recovered motorcycle is in the custody of the troops.
Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.
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