In response to a growing emergency, the European Union has pledged a humanitarian aid package of €500,000, equivalent to over 900 million naira, aimed at supporting children and mothers who are severely affected by acute malnutrition, particularly in the worst-hit regions of northern Nigeria.
An estimated 5.44 million children under the age of five in Nigeria’s Northeast and Northwest are currently facing acute malnutrition, with nearly 2 million expected to require urgent medical intervention for severe cases between June and September 2025.
This projection by the European Union underscores the increasing nutrition crisis in states such as Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, where conflict, displacement, and insecurity continue to disrupt livelihoods and limit access to essential health services.
The funding, part of the EU’s contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, will be channeled through the Nigeria Red Cross Society.
With this support, the Nigeria Red Cross Society will assist about 170,000 households across nine states, including Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara. The primary focus is on providing emergency nutrition care, particularly to more than 30,000 children who urgently need treatment.
Screening and community outreach activities will be closely tied to outpatient services for those with less complicated cases. These children will receive ready-to-use therapeutic food, while those in more critical condition will be referred to health centers for advanced medical care, following national treatment protocols.
The Red Cross aims to widen its nutrition and health-related programs, with an emphasis on improving family resilience over the medium term. The aid package will also strengthen efforts in the areas of water supply, protection, sanitation, and hygiene, which are essential to preventing further health complications in malnourished populations.
According to the EU, the worsening crisis is rooted in more than just insecurity. Economic hardship, erratic climate conditions including floods, and poor maternal and child feeding practices are combining to push more families into vulnerability.
