Malnutrition kills 240 displaced children in Borno state

A humanitarian group at Borno IDP camp

In Borno state, a total of 240 displaced children have died of malnutrition, a humanitarian group said. Moctar Abari, emergency officer of the group –also known as Medicine Sans Frontiers (MSF), confirmed this in an interview with NAN on Monday.
He said that the cases were recorded between January and May at various internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in the state as well as within communities, adding that 12,161 malnourished children were treated at the group’s facilities in the state.

He said “About 240 children died of malnutrition; the cases were recorded at IDPs’ camps and within the communities.

“Some of the displaced persons are staying with their relatives in the metropolis and their children afflicted with malnutrition.”

The organisation had conducted 547,626 malnutrition screening exercises at various health posts in the state, he said.

The organisation had distributed 6,971 foodstuff and 5,932 consumables, and 24,855 children were enrolled into its feeding programme, he added.

“The MSF had registered 140,679 expectant mothers under its antenatal care services, while 3,398 deliveries were recorded within the period under review.”

“Some 49,063 children were inoculated against measles, while 72,955 others were administered with oral polio vaccines (OPV).”

The organisation is working towards providing emergency response “to enhance primary healthcare delivery in disaster and crisis prone areas,” Abari also said