No fewer than 1. 6 million children are facing hunger in Katsina State, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Mr Rahama Farah, the UNICEF’s Chief, Kano Field Office, announced this when he paid an advocacy visit to Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina, State on Wednesday, in Katsina.
“This is based on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) carried out in 2021,” Farah said.
Out of the figure, he said about 63,000 people were suffering from acute food insecurity.
“Out of the state’s two million under-five children, 1.2 million are suffering from growth and development.
Also, 574,200 are moderately wasted, 250,151 severely wasted and 1,376,000 currently suffering from anaemia,” Farah said.
Read Related News:
8-year-old girl stabbed, recuperating in Kano hospital
LASG plans biggest children hospital in Africa
Group sensitises against GBV in Sokoto
He expressed UNICEF’s readiness to work with the state government.
According to him, such anticipated collaboration is to ensure that 1.6 million children, aged between six and 59 months, receive two doses of vitamin A supplements to tackle malnutrition.
He added that UNICEF would also strengthen coordination in delivering interventions to 143,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
Receiving the UNICEF team, Gov. Radda expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with it, to end hunger across its 34 local governments.
He said his government would inaugurate a committee to work with UNICEF towards addressing challenges facing the state.
He listed the challenges as nutrition, education, health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), child protection and social policy.
“You are coming here to support us to make our lives better, so, why wouldn’t we support you to do that?”
Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com
