Years of ongoing conflict between Boko Haram and the Nigerian military have caused waves of displacement and disrupted the lives of millions of people across Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.
More than one million people have fled to the state’s capital, Maiduguri, doubling its population. In the summer of 2016, MSF teams already working in Maiduguri started to see high rates of malnutrition. In response, MSF expanded its medical programs to include five health facilities, all of which include nutrition programs. MSF also distributed food and worked to improve access to clean water and sanitation within the city.
While the situation stabilized following a massive deployment of aid, the emergency is not over. There are still vulnerable pockets within the city and conditions are fragile. Any interruption in the provision of humanitarian aid could have dire consequences. Meanwhile, with the coming rainy season, other parts of Borno state will likely be impossible to reach.
In Maiduguri, MSF runs a nutrition center in the Fori neighborhood that treats around 1,400 malnourished children as outpatients. The center also has the capacity to treat 88 more severe inpatient cases.
Read More: Fighting Malnutrition in Borno State
