Food Insecurity and Child Dietary Adequacy Among Internally Displaced Families in Borno State

This study examines the relationship between food insecurity and dietary adequacy among children under ten in internally displaced families in Borno State, North East Nigeria. Humanitarian crises in the Lake Chad Basin region have produced one of Nigeria's largest internally displaced populations, with profound consequences for household food security and child nutrition. The study employs a cross-sectional analytical design, targeting 350 internally displaced families in UNHCR-supported camps and host communities in Maiduguri and Jere local government areas. Data were collected through the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Children tool, and structured interviews. Objectives include determining the food insecurity status of families, assessing children's minimum dietary diversity scores, and examining the mediating role of humanitarian food assistance on the insecurity-dietary adequacy relationship. Analytical methods include logistic regression, mediation analysis, and cluster analysis. The UNICEF Immediate Determinants of Child Nutrition Model anchors the study. Recent literature from displacement settings confirms that food insecurity severity is inversely correlated with dietary diversity in children, with humanitarian assistance partially but inadequately buffering this relationship. Findings are expected to identify specific dietary gaps and high-risk family profiles within the displaced population. Recommendations target UNHCR, WFP Nigeria, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, and Home Economics educators. Keywords: food insecurity, dietary adequacy, internally displaced, children, Borno State.