Rainy season worsens disease, hunger crisis in Zamfara – MSF

A humanitarian medical organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières, has raised alarm over worsening health and humanitarian conditions in northwestern Nigeria, warning that the rainy season is driving deadly outbreaks of malaria, cholera, typhoid and acute malnutrition across vulnerable communities in Zamfara State.

In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation said the annual rains, which usually begin between May and September, have become a “season of death” for many families already displaced and impoverished by years of armed violence and insecurity.

According to MSF, flooding, stagnant water, poor sanitation and overcrowded living conditions are increasing the spread of infectious diseases, while worsening food shortages and limited access to healthcare continue to expose thousands of residents to preventable deaths.

“The rainy season affects the way we see patients. It increases the risks and transmission of many diseases, like malaria, cholera and other acute watery diarrheal diseases,” said Sani Adamu, Nursing Activity Manager at MSF hospital in Zamfara.

He explained that stagnant floodwater creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, causing malaria cases to surge, while contaminated water sources contribute to outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne illnesses.

“In places where sanitation is poor and water sources are unsafe, any contamination can spread quickly,” Adamu said.

“Flooding washes waste, garbage and faecal matter into water sources, spreading water-borne diseases. Children play in this water, households use it, and people fall sick.”

MSF disclosed that in 2025 alone, it treated 136,778 malaria patients and 13,877 cholera cases in Zamfara State.

The organisation also highlighted the growing burden of typhoid-related complications, especially among children.

It cited the case of Auwalu Biliya from Shinkafi Local Government Area, who developed severe typhoid complications after consuming contaminated food and water.

“We took him to the hospital in Shinkafi. We were told his intestines had been affected,” his grandmother, Rakiya Usman, said.

Auwalu was later referred to an MSF-supported General Hospital in Zurmi for emergency surgery after suffering intestinal perforation, a severe complication linked to untreated typhoid fever.

“Early treatment is crucial,” Adamu explained. “When treatment is delayed, the intestine can perforate, a severe condition where the intestine ruptures. At that stage, complications can be fatal, and surgery is the only option.”

Beyond disease outbreaks, the organisation warned that the rainy season also coincides with the annual lean season, when food supplies are depleted, and malnutrition rates rise sharply.

MSF said it treated 60,566 malnourished children in Zamfara in 2025, noting that children under 15 and pregnant women remain the most vulnerable.

The group further expressed concern over worsening access to healthcare in conflict-affected communities, citing insecurity, flooded roads, damaged bridges and the high cost of transportation as major barriers preventing residents from accessing timely treatment.

Saratu, a displaced mother whose daughter Jamila recently fell ill, described the hardship faced by many families seeking medical care.

“We live close to the river and sleep in the bush. We don’t have mosquito nets,” she said.

“During the rainy season, a lot of children get malaria. One child recovers, and another falls sick. Sometimes three of your children are ill at the same time, and you don’t know what to do.”

MSF said it currently operates or supports four healthcare facilities across northern Nigeria to manage seasonal disease outbreaks and malnutrition cases.

The organisation called for urgent preventive measures, including improved access to clean water and sanitation, stronger vaccination campaigns, and better-equipped healthcare facilities to reduce illness and mortality during the rainy season.

“Most of the illnesses and deaths during the rainy season are preventable,” Adamu added.

“Preventive action before and during the rainy season is critical.”