Save the Children International (SCI) has raised concerns over the recent analysis of hunger data indicating that about 1 million children may be malnourished by April 2025 if urgent actions are not taken.

The Cadre Harmonise report revealed that extreme flooding, escalating violence, and rampant food shortages have deepened the hunger crisis in the country leading to malnourishment in children

The Regional report also showed the severity of hunger crises in the Sahel and West Africa indicating that 5.4 million children are at risk of facing acute malnutrition in the region by April 2025, representing an increase compared to the 4.4 this past April.

It noted that among the figure, about 1.8 million children in the region could be experiencing Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM),  the deadliest form of malnutrition that compromises children’s immune systems and turns otherwise treatable illnesses, such as diarrhea, potentially lethal, representing an alarming 80% increase in SAM cases.

Aisha, a 27-year-old mother of six while speaking at the Save the Children’s clinic in Damaturu, said, “Hunger has entered my daughter’s body and she has emaciated terribly because I am unable to breastfeed her, I don’t produce breast milk. It has affected her growth compared to other children; she was stooling profusely”

SCI further pointed out that during this year’s lean season, about 31.8 million people were estimated to be facing a crisis or, worse, acute food insecurity and said by next year, it is predicted that 33 million people in Nigeria will not know where their next meal will come from, including over 16 million children.

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They raised concern that hunger has risen sharply in Nigeria in recent years, up from about 7% of the population analysed by the UN in 2020 to 15% currently, saying the situation is particularly dire in the northwest and northeast of the country, where ongoing conflict and insecurity are driving displacement and disrupting livelihoods.

They added that with a population of about 230 million, Nigeria is highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, expanding desertification is consuming farmland an adding that this year the country has faced its worst floods in 30 years, killing over 300 people and forcing 1.2 million people from their homes

Hajara, a child campaigner from Katsina, said: “I am so worried about how food insecurity is hitting children in our community. With banditry everywhere, farmers cannot go to farms so food is getting harder to find.

“Lots of children go to bed hungry, and malnutrition is going up, leaving us tired and unable to concentrate in school. We need our leaders to step up, bring security back, and help us get the support we need so every child here can grow up safe, well-fed, and healthy.”

Save the Children’s Country Director for Nigeria, Duncan Harvey said the crisis is reaching unprecedented levels as catastrophic climate disasters, escalating insecurity, and soaring prices threaten to leave over 16 million children hungry.

He stressed the need for urgent action to combat the devastating and unacceptable trend of child hunger and malnutrition and ensure a brighter future for Nigeria’s children.