The humanitarian relief organization Medair says that the number of malnourished children in Panyijar County in southern Unity state is still growing, with thousands treated over the last few months.

Panyijar County earlier this year saw a huge influx of displaced people seeking a safe haven from fighting farther north in the state.

Medair runs two programmes in Ganyliel, one a Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme for moderately malnourished children, and the other an inpatient treatment programme for severely malnourished children with medical complications.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Medair nutritionist Nicholas Gitau said that the organization’s targeted supplementary feeding programme has treated over 2000 children in a period of less than 2.5 months.

“We have had over 2000 children in the programme since 24 April 2014 and we have admitted 25 children in the stabilization centre,” said Gitau. “The number of malnourished children is still growing. We opened the fourth location just recently.”

The organization’s nutrition stabilization center was opened in Ganyliel town on 13 March. The programme began after another organization, the International Rescue Committee, asked for additional assistance in the county because of the high number of malnourished children.

The total number of malnourished children in the county is higher than 2000, since the mentioned figures provided by Medair do not include children treated in an outpatient programme by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), nor children in remote areas who have not been reached.

Photos: Malnourished children in Ganyliel (Medair/Wendy van Amerongen)