Malnutrition severely affects children and lactating/pregnant women in conflict zones. To mitigate the effect of starvation among vulnerable demographics in Biu LGA, Caritas Nigeria partners with Caritas Norway and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out nutrition interventions in communities by…
screening children under 5 years and infants for Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), enrolling MAM cases for care, referring SAM cases to outpatient centres for treatment, and providing their caregivers with insights on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices.
In July 2022, vulnerable infants and young children in Yamarkumi community in Biu local government area (LGA) of Borno state, were recently screened for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) during a targeted nutrition outreach organized by Caritas Nigeria. The exercise was part of the donor-funded Emergency Food Assistance and Protection which improves food security and offers nutrition assistance to internally displaced persons, returnees, and vulnerable host community members.
Similarly, the project caters for the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs of communities in Adamawa and Borno states by creating alternative sources of water and hygiene facilities. For over a year, the Wurongaindi community in Madagali local government area and the Yamwue community in Michika local government area, both in Adamawa state, lacked access to clean water after their hand pumps collapsed. Resultantly, they drank from polluted streams, which they also fetched from for domestic use.
Seeing the health risks and deprivation that the Wurongaindi and Yamwue communities endured, Caritas Nigeria collaborated with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Caritas Norway to rehabilitate the hand pumps to provide indigenes with potable water, improve their sanitation and reduce their susceptibility to waterborne diseases. The communities also received the requisite tools to promptly fix basic pump issues in the future.
