In brief
With supplies of a crucial therapeutic food dwindling, UNICEF alerts that nearly two million children in Africa face life-threatening malnutrition if urgent action isn't taken.
Nearly two million children in Africa could suffer severe consequences due to diminishing stocks of ready-to-use therapeutic food, warns the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Vital to the survival of children with severe acute malnutrition, the therapeutic food—a lifesaving, peanut-based treatment—is in short supply in Mali, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad, and is expected to be depleted in other regions by mid-2025. UNICEF's Victor Aguayo stresses the need for urgent action to prevent this "silent killer" from claiming more lives.The WHO estimates severe acute malnutrition affects 19 million children under five globally, contributing to approximately 400,000 deaths annually. Children with the condition suffer weakened immune systems, making them more prone to common and deadly infections such as pneumonia and malaria. As global supply chains falter due to conflicts, climate events, and economic crises, regions like the Sahel face exacerbated hunger emergencies.Despite UNICEF's efforts—having already reached 73% of at-risk children with the therapeutic food last year—alarming shortages persist, driven by geopolitical and environmental challenges. The organization has raised $933 million since 2022 to battle malnutrition but now urgently seeks an additional $165 million to continue its life-saving programs, highlighting a recent $100 million boost from the United States. As global attention focuses on this escalating crisis, donor support is crucial to replenish supplies and save lives.
