Every child should have good food
Our movement's child health and nutrition programmes reached 33 million children in 2023.
Children going hungry isn’t new. But many of the reasons are: pandemics, rising prices and disasters caused by climate change.
It means that, even today, 1 in 4 children don't get the nutritious food they need to explore a world of possibility. Here’s how we’re changing that.
Our hunger relief and nutrition programmes help millions every year.
Around the world, our teams provide counselling, breastfeeding support, malnutrition screening, vitamin supplements and cash transfers.
And we're pioneering new methods of predicting food crises, so governments can take action sooner.
Children's food crisis
Your support matters: a £10 monthly donation could supply 60 sachets of food paste to malnourished children every month.
How we're helping Kayas*
Momtaz*'s husband was killed while fleeing violence in Myanmar. When she arrived in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, Momtaz couldn’t get enough food while breastfeeding Kayas*.
Both got seriously ill. So, we helped them recover - with help from big sister Noor*, aged 7, who says:
"My mother had to stay at the hospital. I fed my sister the special food every day. I felt very sad. Now, I feel good.She eats well."
And we taught Momtaz what we know about nutrition, to give her family the best chance of staying healthy. That’s what every mother deserves.
“I want good for my children. I want them to study. As I have two children, I want to bring a change in them.”
*Names changed to protect identities
How serious is the problem?
- 45% of child deaths are linked to malnutrition.
- Improved breastfeeding could prevent the death of 823K under-5s
- In 2030, 129m children will suffer 'stunting' as a result of hunger.
How are we helping?
Here's a few of the things we're doing;
Northern Nigeria: Giving out small grants & dietary advice with DFID to help 60,000 pregnant women and mothers get the nutritious food they and their children need in their first 1000 days.
Niger: Tackling malnutrition in pregnant women & under 2s, focusing on breastfeeding and complementary feeding support. We're also teaching improved farming techniques & empowering women & girls to earn & save.
South Sudan: Using community-based approaches to prevent malnutrition. We also run outpatient feeding programmes to help children stay healthy.
Yemen: Distributing food and cash grants to families. A major effort is to create safe spaces and provide support for mothers to breastfeed and improve the diet of their young children. The teams are also treating children for malnutrition.
