Deborah Akinyosoye
The United Nations Children’s Fund, on Tuesday, raised the alarm over diversion and reselling of RUTF, a food meant for over half a million malnourished children in Borno, Adamawa State.
The organization described the act as ‘going out of hand’ and may result in the death of many under-aged children.
Speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri during a one-day meeting with stakeholders in the state, the 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 state.
While speaking 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 organization 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.