A critical shortfall in ready-to-use therapeutic food supplies endangers millions of children in Africa, necessitating urgent intervention according to UNICEF.
Famine Looms: Two Million African Children at Risk of Starvation
Famine Looms: Two Million African Children at Risk of Starvation
The shortage of a crucial therapeutic food could lead to the starvation of nearly two million children, UNICEF warns.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a grave warning that nearly two million children in Africa could face death by malnutrition due to the diminishing reserves of a crucial peanut-based, high-nutrient product called ready-to-use therapeutic food. This situation is most dire in Mali, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad, where supplies have already run out or are critically low. By mid-2025, eight more countries, including South Sudan and Uganda, could also deplete this essential resource.
UNICEF’s director for child nutrition and development, Victor Aguayo, emphasized the immediate need for intervention to combat this "silent killer." Severe acute malnutrition, or wasting, significantly weakens children's immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases prevalent in poorer, crisis-hit countries. UNICEF estimates that malnutrition affects 19 million children globally, resulting in roughly 400,000 deaths each year.
The life-saving therapeutic food, alongside medical care, is crucial for children suffering from severe malnutrition, typically requiring treatment for up to eight weeks. Despite reaching about 73% of those in need last year, the organization faces challenges like global supply chain disruptions due to war, climate change, and economic instability. These threats are exacerbated by ongoing droughts and floods, particularly in the Sahel region.
UNICEF has raised around $933 million since 2022 to support its nutrition programs but now urgently seeks an additional $165 million to replenish its supplies, following a $100 million contribution from the United States. Immediate contributions are pivotal to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis and avert the tragic loss of young lives.
UNICEF’s director for child nutrition and development, Victor Aguayo, emphasized the immediate need for intervention to combat this "silent killer." Severe acute malnutrition, or wasting, significantly weakens children's immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases prevalent in poorer, crisis-hit countries. UNICEF estimates that malnutrition affects 19 million children globally, resulting in roughly 400,000 deaths each year.
The life-saving therapeutic food, alongside medical care, is crucial for children suffering from severe malnutrition, typically requiring treatment for up to eight weeks. Despite reaching about 73% of those in need last year, the organization faces challenges like global supply chain disruptions due to war, climate change, and economic instability. These threats are exacerbated by ongoing droughts and floods, particularly in the Sahel region.
UNICEF has raised around $933 million since 2022 to support its nutrition programs but now urgently seeks an additional $165 million to replenish its supplies, following a $100 million contribution from the United States. Immediate contributions are pivotal to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis and avert the tragic loss of young lives.
