Humanitarian medical organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has raised serious concern over worsening health and hunger conditions in Zamfara State, warning that the ongoing rainy season is pushing thousands of vulnerable residents deeper into crisis.
According to the organisation, the combination of flooding, poor sanitation, insecurity and widespread poverty is causing dangerous outbreaks of malaria, cholera, typhoid and severe malnutrition across many communities in the state.
MSF described the rainy season as a “season of death” for many displaced families already struggling to survive years of violence, hunger and limited healthcare access.
In a statement released on Monday, the organisation explained that stagnant floodwater and overcrowded living conditions are rapidly increasing the spread of deadly diseases, especially among children and pregnant women.
“The rainy season increases the transmission of diseases like malaria, cholera and acute watery diarrhoea,” said MSF Nursing Activity Manager, Sani Adamu.
He explained that floodwater often contaminates drinking water with waste and harmful bacteria, exposing residents to waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera.
“Flooding washes waste and faecal matter into water sources. People use this water for drinking and household activities, and many end up seriously ill,” he added.
MSF disclosed that in 2025 alone, it treated over 136,000 malaria patients and nearly 14,000 cholera cases in Zamfara State.
The organisation also revealed that more than 60,000 malnourished children received treatment during the same period, highlighting the growing hunger crisis affecting families across the state.
According to MSF, the rainy season also marks the annual “lean season,” when food becomes scarce and many households struggle to feed their children.
The group shared the painful story of a young boy from Shinkafi Local Government Area who developed severe typhoid complications after consuming contaminated food and water.
The child reportedly suffered intestinal perforation — a life-threatening condition linked to untreated typhoid fever — and had to undergo emergency surgery at an MSF-supported hospital.
Beyond disease outbreaks, the organisation warned that insecurity and damaged roads are making it increasingly difficult for residents to access hospitals and treatment centres.
Many displaced families now reportedly sleep outdoors or in unsafe conditions without mosquito nets or proper shelter.
One displaced mother, identified as Saratu, described how several children in her family often fall sick at the same time during the rainy season.
“Sometimes one child recovers and another becomes sick immediately. You don’t even know what to do anymore,” she said emotionally.
MSF called on authorities and humanitarian partners to urgently improve access to clean water, sanitation, healthcare services and vaccination campaigns to prevent further deaths.
The organisation stressed that most of the illnesses and deaths recorded during the rainy season are preventable if urgent action is taken early.
Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
