By Tolúlopé Olátúnjí
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has reported that more than one in four children under the age of (5) five globally are living in severe food poverty, meaning that over 180 million young children are at the risk of experiencing significant adverse impacts on their growth and development.
In a new UNICEF report by one of its lead writer, Harriet Torlesse, June 5, 2024, she described severe child food poverty as children surviving on severely deprived diets, consuming only two or fewer food groups.
Torlesse said: “It is shocking in this day and age where we know what needs to be done”
Meanwhile,UNICEF recommends that young children should eat food daily from five of eight main groups, including breast milk; grains, roots, tubers, and plantains; pulses, nuts, and seeds; dairy; meat, poultry, and fish; eggs; vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables; and other fruits and vegetables.
According to the report, about 440 million children are currently under the age of five in about 100 low- and middle-income countries live in food poverty, lacking access to five food groups each day. Of these, 181 million children are experiencing severe food poverty, subsisting on at most two food groups.
However, the UNICEF chief, Catherine Russell highlighted the severe consequences. She stated: “Children who consume just two food groups per day—such as rice and some milk—are up to 50 percent more likely to experience severe forms of malnutrition.” This malnutrition can lead to emaciation, a state of being abnormally thin that can be fatal.
Torlesse further explained that children who survive on such limited diets do not thrive. They perform poorly in school and struggle to earn a decent income as adults, perpetuating the cycle of poverty from one generation to the next.
“If you think of what a brain looks like and the heart and the immune system, all these important systems of the body that are so important for development, for protection against disease—they all depend on vitamins and minerals and protein,” she said.
The report calls for urgent action to address severe child food poverty and ensure that young children have access to a diverse and nutritious diet to support their overall growth and development.
