By Peter Onyekachukwu 
…..Hunger Deepens Across as Insecurity-Hit Northern Nigeria
By Peter Onyekachukwu
In communities across northern Nigeria, hunger is becoming just as deadly as bullets. A recent report by the Nigerian Red Cross Society has revealed that over 5.4 million children are currently malnourished across nine states grappling with prolonged insecurity and displacement.
The affected states—Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Benue, and Kano have been caught in the web of conflict, insurgency, and banditry, with far-reaching effects on food security and child health.
One of the most alarming figures shared is that 1.8 million children are severely malnourished, and according to health experts, that number may rise if urgent interventions are not implemented.
Dr. Aminu Abdullahi, Acting Director of Health and Care at the Nigerian Red Cross, made this revelation during the launch of the Malnutrition Emergency Appeal for the Northwest zone in Kano. He described the crisis as a growing emergency fueled by insecurity, displacement, and poor nutrition.
“Many of these children live in places where insecurity has made farming unsafe or impossible,” he said. “Once farmlands are abandoned, food access drops drastically. It’s not just the quantity of food it’s the quality that matters. A lack of balanced diets weakens children and exposes them to other killer diseases like malaria and diarrhea.”
He explained that more than 63 percent of local government areas in the affected zones have recorded cases of child malnutrition, and emphasized the importance of grassroots engagement, early detection, and community referral systems to save lives.
In an emotional appeal, Red Cross National President, Prince Oluyemisi Adetayo Adeaga, described malnutrition as a “silent killer” that is already devastating countless families quietly.
“If you go into our hospitals both public and private you’ll see cases of children coming down with strange illnesses. Many of these are directly linked to poor nutrition,” he noted. “This issue is not just medical; it threatens the future of Nigeria’s human capital.”
Although Kano has relatively fewer reported cases compared to other states, the state’s Red Cross Chairman, Barrister Salisu Sallama, raised concerns about the worsening hunger crisis across the country.
“With the rate of inflation and food insecurity today, no state is truly safe from this crisis. It might hit harder in vulnerable places, but the ripple effects will be felt nationwide,” he said.
For families living in temporary shelters or conflict-affected villages, every day has become a fight not just for safety, but for food. Aid workers warn that without urgent support, the situation could spiral into a full-blown humanitarian disaster.
As the Red Cross rolls out its emergency appeal, the call is clear: Nigeria must act now before malnutrition quietly claims more young lives in the shadows of conflict.