The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is making an urgent appeal for $165 million to provide life-saving therapeutic food for nearly two million children facing the threat of death from severe wasting. This silent and deadly condition, also known as severe acute malnutrition, is wreaking havoc on children under five across several countries grappling with conflict, economic shocks, and climate-induced disasters. Despite previous large-scale efforts to tackle the crisis, the shortage of Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) threatens to undo progress, leaving countless children at risk.
The Silent Killer: Severe Wasting
Severe wasting is one of the most lethal forms of malnutrition, characterized by a significant loss of body weight that leaves children dangerously thin, weakens their immune systems, and drastically increases their vulnerability to disease and death. The causes of severe wasting are multifaceted and often interlinked: inadequate access to nutritious and safe foods, exposure to repeated diseases such as diarrhea, measles, and malaria, and socio-economic challenges exacerbated by conflict and climate change. Malnourished children experience growth failure, developmental setbacks, and are often unable to fend off infections, further spiraling their health into a critical state.
In regions like the Sahel in Africa, where severe wasting rates are among the highest globally, prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, floods, and rising food prices are worsening food shortages, pushing many children to the brink. According to UNICEF, severe wasting now affects approximately 13.6 million children under five globally, with nearly two million at immediate risk of death due to funding shortages for RUTF, a life-saving therapeutic treatment designed to reverse the effects of malnutrition.
Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF): A Lifeline
RUTF is a vital component of UNICEF’s global strategy to combat severe wasting. This energy-dense, micronutrient-rich paste is made from powdered milk, peanuts, butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and a mix of essential vitamins and minerals. It is designed for home use and is especially effective in treating children suffering from severe wasting, as it provides the necessary nutrients to restore their health and strength without the need for refrigeration or complicated preparation.
Over the years, RUTF has proven to be a game-changer, bringing millions of children back from the edge of death by reversing the effects of severe acute malnutrition. However, as UNICEF warns, the world’s stockpiles of RUTF are rapidly running out, particularly in the 12 hardest-hit countries. Nations like Mali, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad are either experiencing or facing imminent stockouts, while other nations, including Cameroon, Pakistan, Sudan, Madagascar, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, could run out by mid-2025 if funding shortages continue.
The Escalating Crisis in Africa’s Sahel Region
The Sahel region, which spans several West and Central African countries, presents one of the most alarming cases of severe wasting. Decades of climate-related challenges, including prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns, have exacerbated food shortages. The resulting inflation has driven food prices beyond the reach of many families, leading to widespread hunger and malnutrition.
In Mali, for instance, more than 300,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from severe wasting this year alone. However, nutrition programs have already started running out of RUTF supplies as of July. Chad, another country hit hard by this crisis, declared a food and nutrition emergency earlier this year, projecting that over 500,000 children under five will suffer from severe wasting. Provinces with large refugee populations, who are already vulnerable, are particularly affected. Between January and August 2024, roughly 315,000 children in Chad received treatment for severe wasting, yet by the end of the month, RUTF stocks are expected to run out, leaving many more children without access to life-saving care.
UNICEF’s “No Time to Waste” Initiative
In response to the worsening crisis, UNICEF has launched an updated appeal for its “No Time to Waste” initiative, seeking $165 million in funding. First launched in 2022 to respond to the global food and nutrition crisis, the initiative has already raised over $900 million. These funds have been used to scale up critical programs, services, and supplies aimed at preventing, detecting, and treating child wasting. As a result, since the inception of the plan, 21.5 million children and women have received essential services, 46 million children have been screened for wasting, and 5.6 million children have been treated for severe acute malnutrition.
However, despite these achievements, the funding gap remains critical. UNICEF is now focusing on bridging this shortfall to ensure that children at risk receive the therapeutic food, treatment, and care they desperately need. The “No Time to Waste 2024” plan outlines the most urgent funding needs and highlights the importance of sustaining local production of essential nutrition supplies like RUTF. Local manufacturing is not only crucial for reducing reliance on global supply chains but also for improving community resilience and ensuring that these life-saving interventions are sustainable in the long term.
The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF)
To ensure long-term solutions for child malnutrition, UNICEF launched the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) in 2023. Supported by key partners like the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the CNF aims to support local and regional production of fortified foods, food supplements, and RUTF in areas most affected by child malnutrition.
By focusing on local production, the CNF seeks to overcome global supply chain disruptions that have contributed to the RUTF shortages currently impacting many countries. Additionally, local manufacturing reduces environmental impacts associated with shipment and creates job opportunities within local communities. Once fully implemented, the CNF will help insulate affected regions from the fluctuations in demand and funding shortages that have plagued efforts to combat child malnutrition.
The Way Forward: Urgent Action Needed
The current funding shortages and RUTF stockouts represent a dire situation for millions of children around the world. Without urgent action, the lives of nearly two million children hang in the balance. UNICEF’s appeal for $165 million is not just a call for help; it is a call for the international community to step up and ensure that children facing severe wasting receive the life-saving care they need.
UNICEF has demonstrated time and time again that when adequately funded, nutrition programs can have a transformative impact on communities and individual lives. The global response over the past two years has been unprecedented, but it is clear that the scale of the crisis requires sustained efforts and resources. Governments, international organizations, and private donors must continue to support initiatives like “No Time to Waste” and the Child Nutrition Fund to address the root causes of malnutrition and protect future generations.
The lives of the world’s most vulnerable children are at stake, and there is truly no time to waste in this fight against severe wasting and malnutrition.
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