Every child has the right to a nutritious diet. But when children don’t get the nutrients they need to survive and thrive, they can develop weakened immune systems and impaired brain development, and face increased risk of disease and death.
In Somalia, nearly a quarter of the population will experience crisis levels of hunger and more than 460,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year. Severe droughts followed by heavy flooding, high food prices and conflict are exacerbating the struggle to survive. Escalating the current dire situation, funding shortages are threatening the delivery of nutritional supplies and services that save lives. Will you help stop this crisis from worsening by rushing an urgent gift for children’s nutrition right now?
In 2024 in eastern and southern Africa, UNICEF and partners treated more than 2.2 million children suffering from severe wasting. But at this moment, funding shortages are hampering efforts to reach all those in need, painting a grim picture for the year ahead. Here’s what’s at stake for children:
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At least 14 million children are expected to face disruptions to nutrition support, leaving them at heightened risk of severe malnutrition and death
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More than 2.4 million children already suffering from severe acute malnutrition could lose access to all ready-to-use-therapeutic-food (RUTF) for the rest of the year
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Nearly 2,300 lifesaving stabilization centers, which provide critical care for children, are at risk of closing or severely scaling back services, and almost 28,000 UNICEF-supported therapeutic centers are at risk, with some that have already been forced to stop operating
UNICEF has the teams and expertise to detect, treat and prevent malnutrition. Since 2000, the number of stunted children under the age of 5 has fallen by 55 million,
and the lives of millions of severely malnourished children have been saved. But funding cuts continue to cause massive disruption in nutrition programs, dramatically reversing these gains and putting the lives of millions more children at risk. This work has never been more challenging — or vital.
With your support, UNICEF can prevent unnecessary deaths and ensure every child thrives. Your urgent gift can help build a world where no child has to suffer from malnutrition and every child can reach their full potential.
Your support will make a world of difference for children whose lives are at stake and who deserve a better future. Will you rush an urgent gift of $50, $75, or a generous gift of $200 to help UNICEF provide this vital aid? |
Thank you so much for your continued support in this critical moment.
Michele Walsh
Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer
UNICEF USA |
