UNICEF partners katsina government to curb hunger menace

The Katsina State Government says it is ready to partner with the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) to end hunger menace across the 34 Local Government Areas in the state. The State Governor, Dikko Radda, made this known in Katsina while receiving a team of  UNICEF officials during a courtesy visit.

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Governor Dikko said his administration would inaugurate a committee to work with UNICEF, to address challenges facing the state in the thematic areas of nutrition, education, health, WASH, child protection and social policy.

The governor added, “You are coming here to support us to make our lives better. So, if you are coming to support us and make our own lives better, why can’t we support you to do that?”

UNICEF Kano Field Officer, Mr. Rahama Farah, also revealed that about 1.6 million people across the state were facing hunger, adding that the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) which was done in 2021 revealed this.

“Out of the above number, about 63,000 people across the state were suffering from acute food insecurity. Out of the state’s two million under-five children, 1.2 million were stunted, 574,200 moderately wasted, 250,151 severely wasted and 1,376,000 currently suffering from anaemia,” he added.

Farah expressed UNICEF’s readiness to work with the state government to ensure that over 1.6m  children aged between six to 59 months, receive two doses of vitamin A supplements to tackle malnutrition.

The UNICEF officer said this would also strengthen coordination and partnership in support of the delivery of different life-saving interventions to 143,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the state.

According to Farah, prevention of malnutrition through scaling up maternal, infant and young child nutrition in the state remains one of the ultimate priorities of the organisation.

He also added that the aim of the visit to the new governor was to strengthen the existing good relationship with the state government, particularly in the areas of health and education, among others.

Wumi/punch