The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said that over 1.6 million children in Kaduna State, north-west Nigeria are suffering from acute malnutrition.
The United Nation Agency in conjunction with the kaduna State Action Plan on Malnutrition in conjunction released the grim statistic in the state last week.
According to experts, malnutrition is responsible for the death of 50 percent of children under five years old in the state.
They say although malnutrition-related deaths are preventable, coverage and quality of treatment, as well as adequate food intake, are lacking.
Political, economic and cultural beliefs are some of the other causative factors that were also identified.
Through the Kaduna State Emergency Action Plan on malnutrition in collaboration with UNICEF, the wife of the governor, Mrs. Ummi El-Rufai, however, noted that a task force has been put in place with the sole purpose of ensuring that the disturbing statistic is reversed through concrete actions to provide food for the vulnerable.
Also addressing the issue, the Governor, Nasir El-Rufai stated that the Kaduna State government has taken steps to address issues of hunger and starvation.
He announced that his administration has committed over 300 million Naira to taking care of 50,000 malnourished children.
Observers, however, say this figure is undoubtedly a far cry from the 1.6 million children who need support from government, organisations and other well-meaning citizens to get out of their bad situation.