UNICEF will continue to improve lives of children in Northwest — Official

The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it will double efforts in 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.

The meeting was focused on implementation of nutrition intervention in eight violence affected Local Government Areas in Katsina state.

“We look at Northwest, specifically Katsina and Zamfara states and 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 stressed the need for the state government to continue to provide N250 million counterpart fund for purchase of RUTF for treatment of the 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 on 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 violence communities.

Eight affected local government areas are:  Safana, Danmusa, Batsari, Jibia, Kankara, Sabuwa, Dandume and Faskari.