At least 652 children have died from malnutrition in Nigeria’s Katsina state in the first six months of 2025, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Friday, blaming funding cuts by international donors for worsening conditions.

The northern state is plagued by insecurity, with widespread banditry displacing communities and disrupting farming.

The number of children with the most severe form of malnutrition in Katsina has surged by about 208% this year compared to the same period in 2024, MSF said.

On Wednesday, the United Nations food agency said it will suspend food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in Nigeria’s insurgency-hit northeast at the end of July due to depleted stocks.

"We are currently witnessing massive budget cuts, particularly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which are having a real impact on the treatment of malnourished children," MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement.

Nigeria has allocated 200 billion naira ($130 million) this year to offset the shortfall caused by U.S. funding cuts to the health sector.

MSF said 652 children had already died in its facilities since the beginning of the year.

The Nigerian government, alongside civilian vigilante groups, has struggled to contain armed bandits in Katsina, where violence has displaced thousands and forced many farmers to abandon their land.

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