Severe acute malnutrition is threatening the lives of nearly 14 million children under the age of five globally

The world is right now facing the worst global food crisis in decades. The combined impact of conflict, climate change, COVID, and the cost of inflating food prices due to the conflict in Ukraine crisis have left 970,000 people across five countries to face famine conditions  famine conditions over the next few months.

Malnutrition caused by extreme hunger remains one of the biggest killers of young children around the world today. In Somalia alone, more than half of children aged under five are facing acute malnutrition, with one in six suffering from the most deadly form.

Save the Children is working around the world and around the clock to provide food, cash and critical health and nutrition services to stop children from going hungry, either now, or in the future. Your donation to the Children's Emergency Fund supporting this life-saving work. 

What is severe acute malnutrition?

Severe acute malnutrition. Ever heard of it?

It’s silent. Deadly. A child killer. 

Severe acute malnutrition can cause muscle wasting, blurred vision and organ damage. And right now it’s threatening the lives of 1.7 million children in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

But for many, the treatment for severe acute malnutrition can be devastatingly simple: like an 8-week course of high-nutrient peanut paste that costs less than $50.

4 Basic Causes of Malnutrition in Children

Malnutrition, at its core, is a dietary deficiency that results in poor health conditions. Here, we breakdown four major factors that contribute to malnutrition in children.

Breaking the Cycle of Malnutrition in Children

Breaking the cycle involves working across various programs, not just nutrition programs, but also health, education, water and sanitation, livelihoods and protection

With our programs and your support, mothers are having healthy babies, children are growing up healthy and once they become adults, are contributing to their community and their society, passing on their gains to the next generation.

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