Tens of thousands of children are at risk of dying from hunger due to coronavirus

Fighting malnutrition among children is a difficult task for the UN even in normal times. According to UNICEF, the coronavirus crisis could make the situation worse, with nearly seven million children suffering from acute malnutrition by the end of the year.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned of a dramatic increase in malnutrition among young children worldwide due to the coronavirus crisis. UNICEF said that 6.7 million young children could be suffering from acute malnutrition by the end of the year, with up to 10,000 children at risk of dying each month.

According to UNICEF, some 47 million children under the age of five were severely malnourished last year. With growing concerns that the pandemic could lead to the highest levels of child hunger this millennium, most of the children suffering from malnutrition live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

According to Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, it is now clear that the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are hitting children harder than the disease itself. Poverty is increasing within families, essential services and food supply chains have been disrupted. Food prices have also skyrocketed. All of these factors mean that children are less likely to have access to healthy food, Ms. Fore adds.

Victor Aguayo, UNICEF’s nutrition chief, has called for easing coronavirus restrictions to help families get back on their feet. He cited the loss of basic necessities like meals and medical care that have been a result of school closures in poor countries. For example, the elimination of vitamin A from children’s diets almost everywhere can weaken their immune systems.

More than two billion euros are needed this year.

Children who suffer from acute malnutrition are at greater risk of dying or being stunted, according to the United Nations. Together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF is calling for a more effective approach to preventing and treating malnutrition. The organizations are appealing for $2.4 billion by the end of this year to support children and mothers in food programmes.

Source: DW