London, United Kingdom, March 26, 2026 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has successfully concluded its two-year UK Aid Match‑funded nutrition programme in Northeast Nigeria, reaching nearly 125,000 people with lifesaving support for young children and their caregivers.
The programme was funded through the IRC’s UK Aid Match ‘Protecting Milestones’ appeal, which raised almost £700,000, which was matched with funding from the UK government. It focused efforts in Nigeria, one of the highest-risk countries identified in the IRC’s Emergency Watchlist, where conflict, displacement and rising food insecurity have left millions of families struggling to access even the most basic services. In the northeast alone, 5.9 million people require humanitarian assistance, while 30.6 million people across the country are facing crisis levels of food insecurity. An estimated 3.5 million children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition - among the highest figures globally - and many families face long, dangerous journeys just to reach health facilities, with no guarantee that treatment will be available when they arrive.
Globally, more than 50 million children suffer from acute malnutrition every year, and three‑quarters of them do not have access to treatment. Even where services exist, few children are able to continue care long enough to fully recover. As conflict and climate crises intensify, these pressures are expected to worsen, making accessible, community‑based nutrition support more vital than ever.
Throughout the programme, IRC teams helped families identify malnutrition early, access treatment quickly and receive support through strengthened health clinics and caregiver groups. This ensured children could get help close to home, before their condition became life‑threatening.
Beyond this programme, the IRC continues to work across northeast Nigeria to improve malnutrition treatment, healthcare services, expand access to clean water and sanitation, support children’s safety and learning, and help families displaced by conflict rebuild their lives.
Key successes of the programme:
- Nearly 125,000 women, men and children benefited from nutrition services and community support.
- 95% of children treated for acute malnutrition at IRC-supported sites recovered — including 32,000 girls and 23,000 boys
- 95% of community health workers reported an improved ability to identify children showing signs of malnutrition and refer them for treatment.
Almost 30,000 caregivers took part in mother and father support groups to learn practical ways to keep their children healthy.
Flora Alexander, IRC UK Executive Director, added,
“Behind every number is a child whose life has been changed. Thanks to the generosity of the British public and the UK government, parents who feared for their children’s futures have seen them recover and grow stronger. This programme shows the power of innovative approaches to preventing and treating malnutrition, giving families and frontline workers the tools they need to protect children in one of the world’s most severe crises.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For further background on the UK Aid Match Protecting Milestones appeal, see our previous press release and fundraising appeal main page.
Case Study: Zara and Fatima
When community nutrition volunteers visited Zara’s neighbourhood in Maiduguri, Nigeria, they quickly realised her two‑year‑old daughter Fatima was dangerously unwell. Using a simple coloured tape that measures the circumference of a child’s upper arm — a globally recognised way to detect life‑threatening malnutrition — they found that Fatima was far below the healthy range
She was referred immediately to a nearby nutrition clinic supported by the IRC, where she began treatment and Zara received practical guidance on feeding and care at home. Over the following weeks, Fatima steadily gained weight, her appetite returned and her energy began to rise. By the time she was discharged, her arm measurement had moved back into the safe zone, and she was playing and laughing again.
“They gave me my daughter back,” Zara said. “I will never forget what they did for us.”
The IRC
The IRC began responding in Nigeria following severe flooding in 2012. Since then, the IRC has expanded its operations across northeast Nigeria’s Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states working largely at the local government area levels, as well responding to emergencies in Zamfara state (northwest Nigeria) and Kogi state (north central Nigeria). The IRC’s programming approach consists of integrated multisectoral programming in health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and protection for women, men, girls and boys who are internally displaced and in host communities. Learn more about the IRC’s response in Nigeria.
UK Aid Match
UK Aid Match brings charities, the UK public and the UK government together to collectively change the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. It is designed to provide opportunities for the UK public to engage with international development issues and to allow the public to have a say in how UK aid is spent, whilst boosting the impact of the very best civil society projects to reach the poorest people in developing countries. For every £1 donated to a UK Aid Match charity appeal by an individual living in the UK, the UK government will also contribute £1 of UK aid, up to £2 million, to help these projects go further in changing and saving lives.