UNICEF, Katsina Govt strengthen partnership to tackle hunger

Katsina State Government says it is ready to partner with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund  (UNICEF) to end hunger across the 34 LGAs in the state.

Governor Dikko Radda made this known on Wednesday in Katsina while receiving a team of UNICEF officials who paid him on an advocacy visit.

Radda said his government would inaugurate a committee to work with UNICEF in addressing challenges facing the state in the thematic areas of nutrition, education, health, WASH, child protection and social policy.

He said, “You are coming here to support us to make our lives better. So, if you are coming to support us and make our own lives better, why can’t we support you to do that?.”

Mr Rahama Farah, the UNICEF’s Chief, Kano Field Office, said that about 1.6 million people across the state were facing hunger.

“This is based on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) which was done in 2021.

“Out of the above number, about 63,000 people across the state were suffering from acute food insecurity.

“Out of the state’s two million under-five children, 1.2 million were stunted, 574,200 moderately wasted, 250,151 severely wasted and 1,376,000 currently suffering from anaemia,” Farah said.

Farah expressed UNICEF’s readiness to work with the state government to ensure that over 1.6m children aged between six to 59 months received two doses of vitamin A supplements to tackle malnutrition.

He added that UNICEF would also strengthen coordination and partnership in support of the delivery of different life-saving interventions to 143,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the state.

According to Farah, prevention of malnutrition through scaling up maternal, infant and young child nutrition in the state remains one of the ultimate priorities of the organisation.

He added that the aim of the visit to the new governor was to strengthen the existing good relationship with the state government, particularly in the areas of health and education, among others.