1.5 million children untreated for severe wasting in East and South Africa – Global issues

This number represents nearly half of the estimated 3.6 million children in urgent need who cannot be reached in time to save their lives or keep them from permanent developmental harm.

Because UNICEFMohamed M. Fall Regional Director for East and South Africa,”There is nothing more devastating than seeing children severely emaciated when we know it can be prevented and treated.. ”

Mr Fall highlighted “several outstanding results and success stories”, thanks to the support of donors and partners, but said “the impact of COVID19, climate change and conflict is creating. a perfect storm, where demand is rapidly outstripping resources.”

For him, “the time to act is now.”

Crisis piled up

Across the region, families are facing multiple crises, including rising levels of food insecurity, economic downturns, disease outbreaks, unprecedented cycles of floods and droughts. yes, and conflict.

Millions of people are having to reduce the quantity or quality of the food they eat to survive. In many cases, families are forced to do both.

For UNICEF, this is an existential and preventable tragedy that can and must be prevented.

Prevention remains the best way to ensure that children survive, to avoid permanent physical and cognitive damage, and to avoid the lifelong sufferings of childhood malnutrition.

With unfettered access and predictable funding, UNICEF believes it can work with partners to save the lives of nearly every child severely malnourished..

The agency is asking for $255 million to scale up its emergency response by 2022.

Countries in the spotlight

InAngola, where people are facing the consequences of the worst drought on record in 40 years, UNICEF and partners have been trying to scale up the response in the worst-affected provinces (Cuando) Cubango, Benguela, Namibe, Huíla and Cunene), with about 40% more children in treatment in 2021 than in 2020.

InEthiopia, the country with the largest child population in the region, the agency and partners estimate that 500,000 children will be severely malnourished by 2021, but many children in the war-torn North still need to be cared for. life-saving support.

Across the four regions, families are struggling to survive as a severe drought follows three failed rainy seasons in a row. According to the latest figures, more than 6.8 million people in drought-affected areas will need urgent humanitarian assistance by mid-2022, many of them children.

InSouth Sudan, an estimated 1.4 million children under 5 years of age are severely malnourished, of which more than 310,000 are severely malnourished.

Last year, UNICEF and its partners treated more than 240,000 children, but the situation remains urgent, as floods have killed livestock, washed away food and fields, and blocked humanitarian access.

InMadagascar, where three consecutive years of drought have created one of the worst nutrition crises and food insecurity in decades, UNICEF and partners last year helped avert the dreaded famine of many families in the south of the country.

UNICEF and its partners have nearly doubled the number of children treated for severe cachexia compared with 2020. This number is estimated to have saved the lives of at least 55,000 children under the age of 5.

InSomalia, more than 255,000 children were treated for severe exhaustion last year. With the country experiencing one of the worst droughts ever recorded and continuing to suffer from violence, 1.3 million children under the age of 5 are likely to be depleted this year.

InKenya, at least 65,000 children will have access by 2021 to services for severe malnutrition. Currently, an estimated 2.8 million people are food insecure, with 565,044 children severely impaired -123,000 – and the situation is expected to get even worse.

Finally inMozambican, insecurity continues to have a negative impact. Last year, about 38,000 children were treated for severe exhaustion, up from 10,000 the year before.