UNICEF laments diversion of malnourished children’s food in N’East

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, raised an alarm over diversion and reselling of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), which is meant for over half a million malnourished children in Borno, Adamawa State.

The organisation described the act as ‘going out of hand’ and may result in the death of many under-aged children.

During a one day meeting with stakeholders in the state in Maiduguri, the state capital, UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senesie said the diversion is been carried out by workers, transporters and traders

He said: ‘The issue is going out of hand, where either traders, transporters, and some workers been found involved or caught for misusing or diverting supplies, which is a major issue to UNICEF.

‘We have done investigations to know what is happening, and we have found it is happening online, in the market, which we believe the law enforcement should do their work to ensure these free commodities go free the right children’.

According to him, UNICEF is targeting more than half a million children with the supplies in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

On the effect of the product diversion, Senesie said: ‘For a child to die because the product meant for them is stolen is alarming to us. This problem is huge, we all know how insecurity, food insecurity and everything is affecting families and those who are displaced, so if those doing this sell these commodities, you are depriving the children, and they are going to die, and not only that, we will not have resources for those who really needs it, donors will stop’.

Senesie urged stakeholders to contribute their efforts in advancing the rights of malnourished children

‘We want everyone, like law enforcement agency to do their work, we want action from the government transporters, never to transport anything of nutrition commodities which are not going directly without a way-bill, traders not to sell, buyers not to buy because it is free. We want action from health workers not to sell or divert these supplies. We want action from everyone’, he noted.

He also called on the media to support the organisation in advocating for children’s rights and support it’s campaign against the diversion of supplies

Senesie also urged security agencies in the state to return any confiscated supplies from those diverting it to the state government in order to prevent them from expiring

‘When the police station confiscate these supplies, it should come back to the ministry of health for it to be used, not to be in police stores’, he added.