A mother’s grief on the frontline of a global malnutrition crisis

28 January 2017 - For his mother, Fati, the loss is so intense that her baby still comes to her in her dreams, she says in a voice that is both soft and dignified.

Ibrahim’s case highlights the dangers facing more 450,000 children in northeast Nigeria who are currently at risk of death from severe malnutrition among a wider group of 4.4 million children in need of humanitarian assistance.

After getting sick in mid-December with a bad stomach, Ibrahim lost so much fluid from vomiting and diarrhea that his body was unable to fight off an attack of measles. The measles left him so weak that within two weeks he died at the age of 21 months.

"Ibrahim used to be a very strong, smiley and bouncing one-year-old," his mother said. "He climbed on my lap and grabbed my hair all the time.

"But then he started vomiting and he got diarrhea. He lost a lot of weight in a short time, he had a high temperature and his skin was dry.

"We took him to the hospital and he recovered a little. But then he became ill on top of his already poor physical condition and I could only watch him slipping away."

The case of Ibrahim highlights the importance of UNICEF Nigeria’s work and his death will motivate the team at UNICEF Nigeria staff to continue their efforts until no child suffers from severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria.

Fati mourns the loss of her son. She will grieve for years to come but she’s determined to protect her three surviving children and give them a good chance in life.