Lead
In the quiet town of Kware, Sokoto, in northwestern Nigeria, Maryam Aminu was not surprised when her 18-month-old child was diagnosed with malnutrition for a second time in April. She had been barely able to feed the child regularly, let alone with nutritious foods. The family’s situation deteriorated after February, when her husband, Shehu Aminu, lost his job as a taxi driver because of a spike in petrol prices caused by the war in Iran.
"Times are tough, and the food is not consistent," Ms. Aminu told Africa News and The Hindu, which reported on the family's plight. She said she was sad and angry when she learned of the diagnosis, as reported by the two outlets.
Coverage Comparison
The story is covered by Africa News and The Hindu, with both outlets focusing on the human impact of the war in Iran on Nigerian families. Africa News emphasizes the economic challenges facing families in northern Nigeria, attributing the crisis to the war in Iran and economic reforms. The Hindu similarly reports on the hardship and malnutrition affecting children, with a tone that is sympathetic and concerned. Both sources quote directly from affected individuals, providing a personal dimension to the broader crisis.
Key Claims
The two reports describe the family's struggles and the wider context. Northern Nigeria, one of the world's poorest regions, is already under pressure from an insurgency crisis. The conflict in the Middle East has worsened food security for millions of people, especially children.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, which included removing fuel subsidies three years ago and devaluing the currency, sparked high inflation. A World Bank technical report this week stated that 139 million Nigerians are now poor or vulnerable to poverty.
If the war in the Middle East continues, up to 23.4 million additional children could fall into monetary poverty by the end of the year, according to a report from the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF. The agency warned that at least 80% would be in Africa and Asia. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell is quoted by both outlets as saying, "Children are paying the price for the escalating conflict in the West Asia, including children far beyond the region."
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas passed before the war, has sent a ripple effect across the world, driving up fuel prices and affecting food security. In Nigeria, fuel pump prices jumped from 800 naira per liter in February to 1,400 naira per liter in April, with a knock-on effect on the prices of food and necessities.
According to local health and aid workers, children relapsing into malnutrition have become increasingly common across northern Nigeria, citing knock-on effects from the Iran war. The war has also affected fertilizer supplies and prices, threatening the planting season and worsening the fate of mostly farming communities in the region.
Soaring prices and economic hardship mean that children in poor households are more likely to be stunted in the long term. As one report puts it, "The long-term implications for children are absolutely terrible, their development will be compromised, they are less likely to stay in school because their parents are under so much financial stress."