In a new
report, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UN-OCHA) says about 3.4 million people need nutrition assistance due to
food
crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria.
In the
report for the month of September, UN-OCHA Humanitarian Situation Report
revealed that 2.7 million people were targeted for immediate intervention,
adding that only 936,200 people were reached with nutrition support within the
period under review. The report indicates that three Stabilization Centres (SC)
were set up at Damboa, Dikwa and Ngala Local Government Areas to enhance
management of acute malnutrition. It says some 60 health personnel were also
trained in Borno and Yobe States to enhance operations at the stabilisation
centres.
The UN
agency added that effective modalities were evolved to streamline the Infant
and Young Child Feeding scheme with the Blanket Supplementary Feeding and
Emergency Food Distribution programmes to control the scourge. It adds that the
UN in collaboration with humanitarian partners had decentralized activities in
8 local government areas of Borno State to combat malnutrition.
The report
lists the affected areas as Damasak; Ngala, Dikwa, Bama, Gwoza, Kukawa,
Kala-Balge, Gubio, Nganzai and Guzamala. “The progress toward key indicators is
on track except for the management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with
medical complications, which remain hampered by the unavailability of services
especially in the newly accessible areas. Lack of access to most areas has been
the impediment in providing life-saving nutrition support to those in need.
Nutrition activities are limited to few areas where humanitarian actors have
access and where healthcare structures are in place,” it stated.
It also
points out that about 6.5 million U.S. dollars was required to implement five
projects and facilitate smooth running of the nutrition support services in the
affected communities. It disclose that a maternal and child health week
exercise would be conducted to contain malnutrition in the war ravaged region.
OCHA said that some of the activities line up for the campaign included
supplementation of micro-nutrients deficiency, screening and referral of
under-5 children. “The campaign is design to help children who were not
assisted under the routine exercises to achieve its target”, adding that mobile
outreach is critical in the campaign.
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