Every year from July to October, the combination of hunger gap and rainy season triggers a spike in the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition and malaria in southern Niger. Since the large-scale food crisis of 2005, the prevention and treatment of child malnutrition has greatly advanced in Niger but hundreds of thousands of children continue to be affected by this chronic emergency. This year, several factors could lead to an exceptionally severe seasonal peak amid dwindling donor funding dedicated to nutritional and paediatric programs in the area. The catastrophic access to healthcare for malnourished children living in neighbouring Nigeria states also pushes many Nigerian families to cross the border and turn to the Niger’s health system for life-saving care.

In June, ahead of the peak season (July- October), the number of severely malnourished children treated since the beginning of 2021 by the Nigerien MoH and MSF teams in Maradi region was already well above last year figures (+34% in health centres, +46% in hospital). This worrying trend was confirmed in July, and Madarounfa ITFC capacities that are increased during the peak to 260 beds are already overwhelmed with 300 children admitted.

While we continue to expand our response in Maradi region (supporting new ITFCs and peadiatric wards and more ATFCs in Guidam Roumjdi, Aguié and Madarounfa districts) and start a project in Katsina state in Nigeria, we want to keep highglighting the particularly severe situation this year to help mobilise other stakeholders.