AN escalating humanitarian crisis has claimed the lives of at least 652 severely malnourished children in northern Nigeria within the first half of 2025, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Friday.
The international medical charity warned that the malnutrition emergency in the region has grown far worse than anticipated, driven by drastic cuts in foreign aid, rising insecurity, and crippling economic conditions.
“Northern Nigeria is currently facing an alarming malnutrition crisis. Unfortunately, 652 children have already died in our facilities since the beginning of the year due to lack of timely access to care,” MSF said in a statement.
MSF reported a 208% increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition among children between January and June 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The dire situation is compounded by a surge in jihadist attacks that have destabilized communities, making access to food and healthcare increasingly difficult.
“The true scale of the crisis exceeds all predictions,” said Ahmed Aldikhari, MSF’s country representative in Nigeria.
According to MSF, the worsening emergency has been aggravated by massive reductions in international humanitarian funding, particularly from the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union.
Much of the funding shortfall traces back to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which sharply cut overseas aid programs, a policy direction that continues to impact fragile regions like northern Nigeria.
These funding gaps are now directly affecting the availability of emergency nutrition services and medical treatment for vulnerable populations.
MSF also raised concern over the deteriorating nutritional status of women, especially those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
In a recent survey of 750 mothers, more than half were found to be acutely malnourished, with 13% suffering from the most dangerous form of malnutrition.
“This isn’t just a child crisis. Women and entire families are being pushed to the brink,” Aldikhari added.
The crisis goes beyond the health clinics. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly 31 million Nigerians are now facing acute hunger, the highest number ever recorded in the country.
Earlier this week, the WFP announced it would be forced to suspend all emergency food and nutrition assistance for 1.3 million people in Nigeria’s northeast by the end of July due to severe funding shortfalls.
“This is a tipping point. Without urgent action, many more lives could be lost,” warned David Stevenson, WFP’s Nigeria Country Director.
MSF and the WFP are urging donor countries and the Nigerian government to immediately mobilize resources to prevent a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
“This is not a distant crisis. This is happening now in clinics, in communities, in homes and it demands urgent global attention,” MSF said.