2.1m children in Borno, Yobe to face acute malnutrition – UNICEF

Acute malnutrition happens when a child’s body does not receive enough energy and nutrients, causing wasting or rapid weight loss. It can weaken the immune system and make ordinary illnesses more dangerous. Early detection and treatment can prevent the condition from becoming life-threatening.

Severe acute malnutrition, or SAM, is the most serious level. It involves extreme wasting or other serious signs of nutritional failure. Children with SAM need prompt assessment and treatment through health services, often as outpatients or inpatients, depending on their condition.

The distinction matters in Borno and Yobe because UNICEF projects more than 750,000 severe cases among children under five in 2026. The MINA project admitted 219,677 children with SAM for treatment between October 2023 and March 2026. These figures show why screening, treatment and prevention must continue.

UNICEF projects that about 2.1 million children under five in Borno and Yobe will suffer acute malnutrition during 2026. This is a major child health emergency because the affected age group is still growing rapidly and depends heavily on adults for food, care and access to services.

The projected severe cases are especially alarming. More than 750,000 children are expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition, the most dangerous form. Yobe alone accounts for more than 900,000 projected cases, including over 350,000 severe cases. These numbers show that the crisis is not spread evenly across the two states.

UNICEF says conflict, displacement, poverty and food insecurity are driving the situation. It is urging urgent and sustained action, while asking journalists to keep public attention focused on children whose survival and development are at risk.

Acute malnutrition threatens children’s survival because their bodies lack the nutrients needed to maintain health and resist illness. It can also interfere with normal growth, energy and development. Severe acute malnutrition creates the greatest danger and requires rapid identification and care.

The article highlights the scale of that risk. UNICEF projects more than 750,000 severe cases among under-fives in Borno and Yobe in 2026. Dr. Kelechi Nwogu said the figures represented children whose survival and development were at risk, linking the danger directly to the projected crisis.

The long-term concern extends beyond individual treatment. Families need reliable food, health and nutrition services so children can recover and continue developing. MINA helped treat 219,677 children with severe acute malnutrition, but UNICEF says the wider situation still requires urgent and sustained action.

Conflict can disrupt markets, farms, health services and household incomes. Displacement can separate families from homes, livelihoods and familiar support systems. Poverty then limits what caregivers can buy, while food insecurity makes regular, adequate meals uncertain. Together, these pressures increase children’s exposure to acute malnutrition.

UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Dr. Kelechi Nwogu attributed the crisis in Borno and Yobe to this combined effect. He said many families were struggling to provide adequate nutrition for their children. The causes therefore reinforce one another instead of operating separately.

The result is a continuing emergency despite interventions by governments and development partners. UNICEF projects about 2.1 million acute malnutrition cases among under-fives in 2026, with more than 750,000 severe. The agency says action must be urgent and sustained, alongside continued attention to affected families and communities.

Children with severe acute malnutrition can receive treatment through outpatient or inpatient health services. Outpatient care supports children who can be managed while living at home, while inpatient care provides closer medical support for children who are seriously ill or need intensive attention. Both routes help move children toward recovery.

Through the UK-funded MINA project, 219,677 children with severe acute malnutrition were admitted for treatment between October 2023 and March 2026. The project also delivered wider services: more than 1.6 million children aged six to 59 months received Vitamin A supplementation, and 1,019,661 children under 24 months received their first measles vaccine.

MINA operated across 24 local government areas in Borno and Yobe. Although the project was gradually ending, UNICEF said its legacy included recovered children, improved feeding practices and stronger community support structures.

Malnutrition is easier to prevent when families can access nutritious food, health care, safe water, sanitation and protection at the same time. Illness, unsafe living conditions, poor feeding practices and financial hardship can all undermine a child’s nutrition. Combining services addresses several pressures together and helps families act earlier.

MINA integrated nutrition, maternal and child health, water, sanitation and hygiene, social and behaviour change, gender-based violence prevention and child protection. It also supported immunization, Vitamin A supplementation and cash transfers. In Yobe, 14,117 vulnerable women received cash transfers to improve their children’s dietary choices.

The project certified 1,220 communities as Open Defecation Free between October 2023 and March 2026. It also treated 219,677 children with SAM. These results show how coordinated services can support recovery while reducing risks linked to poor sanitation, disease and inadequate diets.

For normal growth, children need enough food with a range of nutrients, safe water, good hygiene, preventive health services and prompt treatment when they become ill. They also need caregivers who can provide appropriate feeding and reach reliable services. These supports work together to protect both physical growth and development.

Children under five are especially vulnerable because they are growing quickly and have limited control over what they eat or where they receive care. Illness can reduce appetite and make it harder for the body to use nutrients. Unsafe water and sanitation can add further health pressures, while poverty can limit food choices.

The article shows why these needs are urgent in Borno and Yobe. UNICEF projects 2.1 million acute malnutrition cases among under-fives in 2026. MINA responded with treatment, Vitamin A, immunization, sanitation, cash transfers and caregiver support, but UNICEF says sustained action remains necessary.