A heartbreaking report released by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) — also known as Doctors Without Borders — has revealed that at least 652 children have died from severe malnutrition in Katsina State between January and June 2025. The disturbing statistics underscore a deepening humanitarian crisis, driven by food insecurity, poverty, and limited access to health care.
The international medical charity raised alarm over the sheer volume of cases it has treated in just six months, describing the situation as "a catastrophic health emergency.
According to MSF officials, tens of thousands of children are currently suffering from acute malnutrition, with many unable to access proper nutrition, clean water, or emergency medical care. The organization attributes the crisis to a mix of insecurity in farming areas, climate-related disruptions, and severe underfunding of humanitarian programs.
“What we are witnessing in Katsina is not just malnutrition — it’s a slow, silent emergency claiming hundreds of innocent lives,” said one MSF health coordinator.
In some treatment centers, MSF teams are admitting hundreds of children weekly, with many arriving in critical condition. The organization emphasized that without immediate and sustained intervention, the death toll could climb significantly before the end of the year.
MSF and other humanitarian organizations are calling on both the Nigerian government and international donors to ramp up funding and food distribution in vulnerable northern states, including Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto.
UN agencies have also flagged northern Nigeria as a "malnutrition hotspot" in West Africa, with millions at risk of hunger in the coming months unless emergency responses are scaled up.
Many families in rural parts of Katsina live below the poverty line and have been affected by banditry, crop failures, and displacement, making access to food and healthcare extremely difficult. Parents like Aisha Ibrahim, who lost her 18-month-old son this month, say they feel “abandoned and helpless.”
“I walked six hours to reach the hospital, but it was too late,” she told local reporters.
Looking Ahead
The report comes at a time when Nigeria is facing broader challenges related to economic hardship, insecurity, and a fragile healthcare system. Without decisive intervention, experts warn that the malnutrition crisis in Katsina may soon spread to other regions.