MALNUTRITION & food insecurity

Malnutrition is one of the greatest and most preventable threats to children’s survival. The solutions are simple. Yet, funding cuts and converging crises mean more children are in urgent need of treatment and lasting solutions.

Around 43 million children under five are affected by acute malnutrition, including 12 million who are severely malnourished. Malnutrition contributes to around 45% of all under-five deaths with severely malnourished children 11-12 times more likely to die than well-nourished children.

Malnutrition rarely acts alone. It weakens immunity, making common illnesses, such as pneumonia, far more deadly. It also weakens children’s physical and cognitive development, impacting their whole childhood and futures.

When children don’t have enough nutritious food during their childhood, the damage lasts a lifetime, permanently affecting their learning, health and future quality of life.  

Despite having proven, evidence-backed solutions, only one-third of children who need treatment receive it, leaving millions without life-saving care.
 

Converging crises are driving record levels of hunger and child malnutrition. The conflict in the Middle East is expected to push around 45 million people into food insecurity. Meanwhile, famine has already been detected in Sudan, and people in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali face extreme hunger and risk of death in the coming months unless there is urgent action.  

More extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, exacerbated by El Niño – a period of global warming – are predicted in 2026-27 with catastrophic effects on agricultural production and livelihoods.

At the same time, humanitarian funding is shrinking. Over 1,100 Save the Children supported health facilities have lost, or are projected to lose, critical funding by the end of 2027, leaving children and families without life-saving care.

However, every crisis forces reimagination. This is a turning point for humanitarian nutrition. We have a unique opportunity to reset the system, putting greater focus on preventing malnutrition before it takes hold.