Richard Ginika Izuora
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has promised to exert energy towards improving the lives of children in communities affected by insecurity in the Northwest part of the country.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano State, Mr Maulid Warfa, disclosed this at a one-day advocacy meeting with Policy-makers, Civil Society Organisations and Media on Tuesday, March 9.
The meeting was focused on the implementation of nutrition intervention in eight violence-affected Local Government Areas in Kaduna State.
The eight affected local government areas are, Safana; Danmusa; Batsari; Jibia; Kankara; Sabuwa; Dandume; and Faskari.
“We look at Northwest, specifically Katsina and Zamfara states; as well as other areas in the Northwest zone to double our efforts for the vulnerable children.
“Kidnapping and ongoing violence in such communities have attracted a lot of attention.
“Under-five death is also alarming; it is 203 deaths of every 1,000 live births.
“Also, 137,372 children are malnourished, they need treatment, hence the need for urgent attention,” he said.
Warfa said that UNICEF was able to provide 6,700 cartons of Ready To Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for some of the malnourished children in Katsina.
He also stressed the need for the state government to continue to provide N250 million counterpart funds for the purchase of RUTF for the treatment of malnourished children.
In his remarks, the Chairman, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, said the agency and the state Ministry of Health, developed a humanitarian action for children; especially in the eight affected local government areas.
Yahaya said that the stakeholders would discuss those issues with a view to getting a way-out.
He said the stakeholders would issue recommendations; on how to improve the lots of vulnerable children in those violent communities.