The International Red Cross has boosted Katsina State’s battle against malnutrition with the donation of about 4,117 cartons, containing 600,500 packs of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
Mr Bala Abdullahi-Hussaini, the Secretary of the state branch of the organisation, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with journalists in Katsina.
He further explained that the intervention through the state’s primary health care agency was aimed at supporting the state government’s ongoing nutrition response.
Abdullahi-Hussaini also disclosed that Bindawa, Zango and Kankia Local Government Areas (LGAs) had already benefited from the RUTF distribution.
According to him, the donation comes as part of the humanitarian organisation’s commitment to strengthening nutrition services across vulnerable communities.
He added that the donation of the RUTF was to ensure that children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) received timely and life-saving treatment.
Beyond nutrition, he said the Red Cross, through the Victim Support Funds (VSF) project, had trained communities in Batsari, Jibia, Faskari and Funtua on peacebuilding, community resilience and youth empowerment.
He added that skills-acquisition equipment was distributed to 850 beneficiaries, including the elderly, persons with special needs, breastfeeding mothers and youths.
“The Red Cross also carried out cholera response operations in Jibia, Batsari, Bindawa and Charanchi, distributing aquatabs and food to over 600 beneficiaries,” he said.
According to him, the organisation reached no fewer than 500,000 residents statewide with COVID-19 sensitisation campaigns and distributed 500 diphtheria awareness pamphlets.
He further revealed that in 2021, the Red Cross disbursed ₦124 million in cash support across Jibia, Funtua and Batsari, with each beneficiary receiving ₦35,000.
