Emergency food supplies in Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan are approaching critical levels, raising alarms over the potential impact on child malnutrition in the region. A recent report from Save the Children highlights that millions of children in these four African nations could face life-threatening malnutrition within the next three months if current conditions remain unchanged.
The organization specifically pointed to the dwindling stock of “ready-to-use therapeutic food” (RUTF), a vital nutritional resource with a long shelf life that does not require refrigeration. In Nigeria alone, approximately 3.5 million children under the age of five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and without immediate access to therapeutic food and nutritional support, their survival hangs in the balance.
Yvonne Arunga, Save the Children’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, made a poignant statement about the struggles faced by parents with malnourished children. The stark reality of health resources becoming unavailable is extraordinarily distressing for families who have depended on these life-saving aids.
This warning comes in the wake of substantial cuts to international aid, described by the United Nations as some of the most significant funding reductions the humanitarian sector has ever faced. Tom Fletcher, the UN’s aid chief, emphasized the painful reality that many in need of assistance may not receive it, despite ongoing attempts to allocate resources effectively.
Key international donors, particularly the United States, have made substantial reductions in foreign aid funding, which has raised concerns about the subsequent effects on various humanitarian programs, including food security, healthcare, and poverty reduction initiatives around the globe. For instance, recent actions by the U.S. Congress led to a billion cut in foreign aid expenditures, a move initiated as part of a broader aim to decrease federal spending.
Reports from NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders reveal distressing statistics; in northern Nigeria, at least 652 malnourished children were reported to have died in the first half of 2025 due to insufficient healthcare access. Ahmed Aldikhari, MSF’s country representative in Nigeria, underscored the dire consequences of the recent budget cuts on the health of vulnerable populations, especially children.
In northwest Kenya, Save the Children has had to navigate logistical challenges to secure food supplies amid severe shortages, indicating that about 105,000 cartons of RUTF are needed by the end of the year, yet only approximately 79,000 have been obtained so far, risking supplies running out imminently.
The organization estimates that funding shortfalls may disrupt nutritional aid for as many as 15.6 million individuals across 18 countries, affecting over 2.3 million severely malnourished children this year. As conditions are expected to worsen in 2026, the urgent need for a concerted effort to address this crisis is vital for ensuring the health and future of children across the impacted regions.
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