Warning Over Malnourished Children In Nigeria

Unprecedented numbers of malnourished children in need of lifesaving treatment are being brought into feeding centres in the city of Maiduguri in north-eastern Nigeria, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says.

Since the start of the year, nearly 1,300 children have been admitted to intensive care – the highest number ever recorded in Borno state for this period, the medical charity says.

In January around 75 children were admitted every week with severe malnutrition, by April that figure had doubled, it said.

Some of the children came from detention camps for former members of armed opposition groups, where the living conditions are very harsh.

MSF is warning of an impending catastrophe if urgent action is not taken.

A currency crisis and a fire which destroyed the main market in Maiduguri have made things worse.

An ongoing insurgency in the region by the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, has left thousands dead, forced many more from their homes and resulted in a humanitarian crisis.

Source: BBC