Over the past years, Bauchi State has recorded a high rate of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with data showing that about 50,000 kids were severely affected and were on the verge of losing their lives.

Nutrition experts and organisations have attributed the increase in the number of malnourished children to household poverty and biting hardship caused by the economic reform. They argued that families could no longer afford nutritious foods, while many pregnant women bear the brunt, particularly among rural dwellers.

Habiba Ibrahim is a resident of Kwankiyel, 18km away from Darazo Town. She had her first son in July 2024, a malnourished baby. She expressed fear of losing her first baby to a lack of micronutrients, while the boy was rapidly going down into severe malnutrition.

Her recent visit to the Darazo Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) centre served as a life-saving move. Habiba said she was given 14 sachets of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for a week. She visited the facility three weeks ago.

Having realised the imminent danger of the growing rate of malnourished children in the state, the Bauchi State government took advantage of the Child Nutrition Fund being anchored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), where RUTF and Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) are provided under the matching fund.

Through the partnership, nutrition commodities valued at N600 million have been procured for the state. Over 4,562 cartons of RUTF and 15,419 cartons of SQ-LNS.

Like Habiba Ibrahim, hundreds of women were seen in different parts of Bauchi State trooping out to take the supplements while massive recoveries from malnutrition are recorded.

MEANWHILE, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, has flagged off the distribution of 6,000 food baskets donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to vulnerable households in Yobe State.

The flag-off ceremony was held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

Speaking at the event, Mrs Umar described the donation as a demonstration of the strong humanitarian partnership between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through KSrelief.

She said: “I am delighted to announce that the Centre has donated a total of 24,302 food baskets to be distributed directly to vulnerable persons in Yobe, Benue, Anambra, Kebbi, and Taraba States. In Yobe State alone, a total of 6,000 households that have been profiled will receive the food baskets provided by KSrelief under this intervention.

“Similar distributions will also be carried out in Benue, Anambra, Kebbi, and Taraba states, thereby extending relief and hope to thousands of vulnerable families across the country.”

The Director General noted that the intervention would provide support to vulnerable households and further strengthen ongoing humanitarian efforts aimed at alleviating hardship among affected populations.

She further stated: “As the rainy season intensifies, it is important to draw attention to the increasing risks of flooding and related disasters across many parts of Nigeria, including communities in Yobe State.

“Communities are encouraged to clear drainage channels, avoid indiscriminate dumping of waste in waterways, relocate from highly flood-prone locations where necessary, and strictly heed early warning advisories issued by relevant authorities. Parents should also ensure that children do not play in flood waters or around erosion-prone areas during heavy rainfall.”

The Director General reiterated that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to improving the welfare of citizens and addressing vulnerabilities arising from disasters, conflicts, climate-related emergencies, and economic challenges.