Hunger Kills 652 Children in Northern Nigeria Amid Aid Crisis

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that at least 652 malnourished children have died in northern Nigeria since January 2025.

The global medical group said poor access to care and collapsing foreign aid are pushing the region into a severe health crisis.

In a statement released Friday, July 25, MSF described the situation as “an alarming malnutrition emergency.”

The group operates several feeding and treatment centers across northern Nigeria. Yet despite their efforts, hundreds of children still die due to delayed or denied care.

The region is facing a deadly mix of factors. These include poverty, conflict, food inflation, and a steep decline in humanitarian funding.

Many international donors, such as the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, have reduced or withdrawn their support.

MSF revealed that from January to June 2025, the number of children with the most severe form of malnutrition has risen by 208% compared to last year.

“We have treated thousands,” said MSF’s Nigeria director, Ahmed Aldikhari. “But the real emergency is that many are dying before they even reach our centers.”

He added that aid cuts are leaving clinics empty, supplies low, and mothers desperate.

Tragically, 652 children have already died in MSF-run facilities this year alone.

The situation affects women too. In one recent MSF survey of 750 mothers, more than half showed signs of acute malnutrition.

Even worse, 13% were found to be severely malnourished, risking their own health and their babies’.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has raised its own concerns. David Stevenson, WFP’s Nigeria director, warned that hunger levels are now higher than ever.

He revealed that nearly 31 million Nigerians are experiencing acute food insecurity.

This week, WFP announced that due to funding shortages, it will suspend all emergency food aid for 1.3 million people in the northeast by the end of July.

With both international support fading and food prices rising, northern Nigeria is entering a dangerous phase. MSF and other groups are calling on global donors to act immediately.

If not, they warn, even more children will die in the coming months.

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