The number of severely malnourished children visiting our clinics in Niger has soared fourfold since the beginning of the year.
Friday 27 August 2010
Last week 2,400 severely malnourished children under the age of five visited the clinics where Save the Children works - up from 609 in the last week of January. In the last week alone 450 more severely malnourished children came for emergency treatment at the clinics than in the previous week.
Flooding exacerbates the crisis
As the malaria season reaches its peak, we are warning that the increased malnutrition rate could be swiftly followed by an increase in the number of children dying from disease because of floods in six regions in Niger.
Stagnant pools of water have been contaminated by animal carcasses and are a breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. This has increased the threat of malaria, respiratory disease and diarrhoea – the biggest killers of young children.
"After six months without proper nutrition, these children have very little resistance to disease,” said Severine Courtiol, Save the Children’s senior programme manager in Niger. “There is little children can do to avoid coming into contact with this contaminated disease-ridden flood water. That’s why it’s critical we make sure these children get enough food so they’re strong enough to fight off and recover from sickness."
One in four children under 3 malnourished
The latest government survey shows that in Maradi, one of the regions worst affected by the food crisis, more than one in four children (26%) aged under three are now malnourished – an increase from 18% this same time last year.
More than 300, 000 children under five in Niger are at risk as a result of the food crisis which has been caused by erratic rains, a failed harvest and food price rises of up to 30% on what little food there is available.
Floods have affected more than 110,000 people in Niger. Six people including two children have died. Over 50,000 livestock have perished, water has been contaminated and crops have been damaged just six weeks before the new harvest is due.
Life-saving medical treatment
Save the Children is working in clinics in three of the worst affected regions in Niger and has provided life-saving medical treatment to over 64,000 thousand children to date. In addition, we’re distributing cash for vulnerable mothers to buy food with and we’re distributing food to those most in need.
Find out more about how we're responding to the food crisis in Niger