UN Warns Of "Catastrophic" Child Malnutrition Due To Ukraine War
NDTV
UNICEF said that the wider pressure on food security, including climate change, the price rise could lead to "catastrophic" levels of severe malnutrition.
The cost of life-saving treatment for the most severely malnourished children is set to jump by up to 16% due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pandemic disruptions, according to the United Nations' children's agency.
The raw ingredients of the ready-to-eat-therapeutic food have leapt in price amid the global food crisis sparked by the war and pandemic, UNICEF said.
Without further funding in the next six months, 600,000 more children may miss out on the essential treatment, which is a high-energy paste made of ingredients including peanuts, oil, sugar and added nutrients.
UNICEF did not specify how much increased spending would be needed to maintain the program. It said a carton of the specialized nutrition containing 150 packets - enough for 6 to 8 weeks to bring a severely malnourished child back to health - goes for about $41 on average.
