By Abbas Bamalli
Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State on Monday inaugurated distribution of 90,000 bags of assorted grains to vulnerable households to curb malnutrition.
Radda said the grains would be distributed through a committee set up to look into nutrition crisis in the state.
He described the gesture as a compassion, responsibility and shared determination to ensure that no family goes to bed hungry and no child suffers from malnutrition or neglect.
“We’re all aware that the current economic hardship has placed many families under great pressure, rising food insecurities and declining household income.
“As a government, we cannot pretend not to see or feel the pain of our people, that is why we’re reaching out directly to the most vulnerable households through the committee on malnutrition,” he said.
Radda said the committee was set up as a result of the malnutrition statistics by the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which placed Katsina in a very disadvantaged position.
He said parts of the mandate of the committee was to advise the government on how to address malnutrition in the state.
The governor said that government efforts were not enough, hence parents, leaders and community members must take responsibility for the wellbeing of the children and families.
“Let us build the culture of community solidarity that our faith teaches us, where the neighborhood looks after the neighbor and where every child is seen as a trust from Allah,” he said.
The governor announced plans to establish 60 Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centres, to address malnutrition crisis.
According to Radda, the government is creating centres to address acute malnutrition, and is improving nine others across the most vulnerable local governments areas.
“Apart from the establishment of the Tom Brown factory and other sources of food for malnutrition, the grains as a direct response to this humanitarian need will go to the vulnerable household.”
The Chairman of the committee, Ahmad Filin-Samji, said the committee screened the beneficiaries in collaboration with stakeholders to ensure equitable distribution.
Also, Dominic Kouadio, Project Coordinator, MSF, said that 116,000 children received treatment in its five stabilisation centres since 2022.
He said that 28,000 children were also admitted in MSF’s centre in Katsina metropolis.
NAN