The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that 2.5 million children in Nigeria’s northeast are at risk of acute malnutrition.

Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, UNICEF’s national representative in Nigeria, addressed at a media briefing on Thursday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

According to Abdelatef, the scenario is part of a larger humanitarian crisis in the region, with over 4.5 million people in need of assistance as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“There is an estimate that there are 2.5 million severely acutely malnourished children,” she said.

“That is a really high number, and severe acute malnutrition is the worst form of malnutrition. If the child, he or she, has severe acute malnutrition, if they are not treated, they are at risk maybe 11 times to die compared than a nourished child.

“It’s a very, very high risk.”

Abdelatef emphasised that combating child hunger and improving immunisation rates are among the agency’s main priorities.

“UNICEF is committed to working with state governments in the region to improve the lives of children and families across the north-east,” she added.

The country official also stated that UNICEF is collaborating with state governments to assist immunisation programs, develop cold chain facilities, and deploy community health workers to reach children who have never received a vaccine.