At least four African countries Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan are on the brink of running out of life-saving therapeutic food for severely malnourished children within the next three months, according to a warning issued by Save the Children.
The crisis threatens the supply of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), including Plumpy’Nut paste and high-energy fortified biscuits, which are essential treatments for children battling severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Without them, millions of children face heightened risks of death and long-term health complications.
Save the Children highlighted that global hunger levels are at a record high, yet funding cuts from major donors, including the United States and other Western powers, are crippling aid efforts. Under former President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. slashed humanitarian assistance as part of an “America First” policy, leaving thousands of metric tons of fortified food stranded in warehouses — some of which have already expired.
The aid group estimates that nutrition treatment will be cut off for 15.6 million people across 18 countries in 2025, including 2.3 million severely malnourished children. Clinics in affected African countries are already resorting to less effective alternatives due to dwindling stocks.
In Kenya, where more than 2.8 million people faced acute food insecurity during the March-to-May rainy season, RUTF supplies are projected to run out by October. Meanwhile, Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan are expected to face similar shortages in the coming months.
Although the U.S. State Department recently pledged $93 million to support RUTF supplies for over 800,000 children across 13 countries, including Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, aid groups say this will not be enough to bridge the looming crisis.
With millions of lives hanging in the balance, Save the Children is urging the global community to step up funding immediately to prevent the devastating loss of children to starvation in one of the worst malnutrition crises Africa has faced in recent years.
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