Malnutrition admissions rise at ICRC-backed facilities in North-east Nigeria

The core change is a sharp rise in recorded malnutrition admissions at 10 health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Six health centres and four hospitals reported nearly 20,000 admissions from January to September 2026. That was about 3,000 more than during the same period in 2025. The increase matters because it signals heavier pressure on nutrition services in conflict-affected areas.

Mubi in Adamawa State recorded the steepest rise. Admissions increased from about 4,600 to approximately 5,700, or nearly 24 per cent. Young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers were among those most affected. Their admissions show how nutritional needs are reaching several vulnerable groups at once.

The figures follow earlier ICRC warnings about growing demand. They do not prove a continuous three-year trend because the reported periods and patient categories differ. Still, they show repeated increases in demand for treatment, while conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures continue to disrupt food access and livelihoods.

Malnutrition means the body does not receive enough energy or essential nutrients for healthy growth, function and recovery. It can affect children and adults, but young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers face particular nutritional demands. Severe acute malnutrition is the most serious form because the body’s reserves are extremely low, making illness, weakness and delayed recovery more likely. This general definition comes from established medical knowledge; the article focuses on admissions rather than defining the condition.

The article highlights children under five with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications. Their admissions rose from 1,212 to 1,691 between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024. At the Mubi Stabilisation Centre, six-month-old Huseina was brought for nutritional support after being unwell since birth.

These cases require more than ordinary food assistance. They need treatment and monitoring through health facilities. The ICRC’s continuing support matters because conflict and food shortages can keep exposing vulnerable people to severe nutritional harm.

The 2026 increase was approximately 3,000 admissions. Ten ICRC-supported facilities recorded nearly 20,000 admissions between January and September, compared with about 17,000 during the same months of 2025. The ICRC described this as an 18 per cent rise. The total covers six health centres and four hospitals, giving a clear measure of demand at those facilities.

Mubi shows how uneven the pressure was. Admissions there rose from about 4,600 in the first nine months of 2025 to approximately 5,700 in 2026. That is an increase of nearly 24 per cent, higher than the combined rise across the 10 facilities.

These numbers count admissions, not every person experiencing malnutrition in the region. The article also warns that different reporting periods and patient categories cannot establish a continuous three-year trend. Even so, the figures show repeated growth in demand for nutritional treatment.

The people most affected included young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. These groups appear repeatedly in the ICRC’s treatment figures and personal accounts. In 2025, more than 16,000 children under five and over 19,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women received severe acute malnutrition treatment at supported facilities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

Mubi recorded the largest increase among the facilities discussed. Admissions climbed from about 4,600 in January to September 2025 to approximately 5,700 in the same period of 2026. That represents nearly 24 per cent. The Mubi Stabilisation Centre also treated children needing ongoing nutritional support, including Zulaihatu Mohammed’s six-month-old daughter, Huseina.

The pattern shows that rising demand is concentrated among people with high nutritional needs. It also places particular pressure on services in Adamawa, while the wider response covers facilities and communities across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

Armed conflict disrupts the basic ways families obtain food. Farmers may be unable to reach fields, markets may be interrupted, and household livelihoods may weaken. Climate shocks, including drought and flooding, can further damage production. High food costs then make it harder to replace lost harvests through purchases. Together, these pressures reduce both food availability and access.

The article gives a direct example from near Mubi. Farmer Saminu Ijaduwa cultivates only a small plot near his home because explosive devices make more distant fields dangerous. Restrictions on farming mean families may produce less, while disrupted markets make buying enough food more difficult. Children and mothers are especially affected when supplies are limited.

The result is greater demand for nutritional treatment. The ICRC is responding with drought- and flood-adapted seeds, crop diversification, food-security programmes and nutrition support. These measures address both immediate malnutrition and some causes of reduced household food access.

A rise in admissions means more people were recorded as receiving care at the facilities covered. It does not automatically measure the total number of people with malnutrition across north-eastern Nigeria. Some affected people may not reach a supported facility, while the reported figures cover only six health centres and four hospitals in this comparison.

The article makes the comparison limits clear. The 2026 figures cover January to September and nearly 20,000 admissions. The earlier figures compare third quarters of 2023 and 2024 and focus on severe acute malnutrition, including a separate category of children under five with medical complications. These are different periods and patient categories.

Therefore, the figures cannot establish a continuous three-year trend or an exact population-wide percentage increase. They do provide an important service signal. Repeated rises show that demand for nutritional treatment is increasing at the facilities reporting them, amid continuing conflict and food insecurity.

Food insecurity means households cannot consistently obtain enough food. Livelihoods matter because farming, work and markets determine whether families can produce or purchase what they need. When those systems fail, meals may become smaller or less nutritious. Young children need food for growth, while pregnancy and breastfeeding increase women’s nutritional needs, making shortages especially harmful for these groups.

In north-eastern Nigeria, conflict restricts access to farmland and undermines household livelihoods. Saminu Ijaduwa farms a small plot near home because explosive devices make distant fields dangerous. Disrupted markets also limit families’ ability to buy food. These pressures reduce both production and purchasing power, creating conditions in which malnutrition can worsen.

The ICRC is combining treatment with prevention and food-security support. It provides seeds suited to drought and flooding, promotes crop diversification and teaches mothers to prepare nutritious local meals. Its Tom Brown mixture has helped more than 13,000 young children recover from moderate acute malnutrition.