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United Nations warns of ‘catastrophic’ child malnutrition as a result of price hikes and Ukraine war

According to the United Nations’ children’s organisation, the cost of life-saving treatment for the most seriously malnourished children is projected to rise by up to 16 percent as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pandemic disruptions.

According to UNICEF, the raw ingredients of ready-to-use therapeutic food have skyrocketed in price due to the worldwide food crisis caused by the conflict and epidemic.

Without further financing in the next six months, 600,000 more children may be denied the life-saving therapy, which is a high-energy paste comprised of peanuts, oil, sugar, and other nutrients.

Before the up to 16 percent price increase, a carton of the specialist nutrition containing 150 packets – necessary for 6 to 8 weeks to restore a severely malnourished youngster back to health – cost roughly $41 on average. The agency estimates that it will require approximately $25 million to cover the additional costs.

Along with other threats to food security, such as climate change, the price increase might result in ‘catastrophic’ levels of acute malnutrition, according to the UN Children’s Fund.

‘The globe is rapidly becoming a virtual tinderbox of avoidable child fatalities and child malnutrition,’ said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Severe wasting, defined as children who are too thin for their height, affects 13.6 million children under the age of five and accounts for one-fifth of all deaths in this age range.

Even before the war and pandemic, UNICEF reported that two-thirds of children lacked access to therapeutic foods that may save their lives.

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