Good nutrition is the bedrock of child survival and development
Children need the right foods at the right time to grow and develop to their full potential. Well-nourished children are better able to learn, play and grow well, and are also more resilient in the face of illness and crisis.
One-year-old, Sanam, in Pakistan requires urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition after the devastating floods last year cut off road access to his village. ©UNICEF/UN0717464/Bashir
But meeting children’s nutrient needs can be challenging, and many parents struggle to provide nutritious, safe, affordable and age-appropriate food for their children. This is especially true for the youngest, the most vulnerable, and those trapped by humanitarian crises.
When you sit down to eat today, will you help a child in need have enough to eat, too?
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A wonder ‘food’ for the world’s children
Poor diets in early childhood can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and nutrients that weaken children’s immunity, increase their risk of blindness, and can lead to death from common childhood diseases like diarrhea.
But there is a solution – ready-to-use therapeutic food, otherwise known as RUTF. This revolutionary, energy dense, micronutrient paste has helped millions of children suffering from the worst cases of malnutrition regain their health. And best of all, children like it!
Watch the video above to learn more about this super ‘food’
Your monthly gift will save children’s lives
Children like Raheb who was treated for malnutrition at a therapeutic feeding centre in Yemen and regained his health thanks to the monthly support of people just like you.
“Parents feel so happy when they see their children recover after receiving the RUFT provided by UNICEF.”
– Dr Radwan Haykal, a nutrition supervisor working in Yemen
In Yemen, malnutrition is one of the first causes of child mortality with approximately 2.2 million children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition.
UNICEF, with partners, is providing life-saving therapeutic food like RUTF to great results, thanks to its easy-to-use formula and packaging, complete with all the vitamins and minerals children need to regain their health.
Will you help more children in Yemen, Syria, Somalia and beyond have access to this life-saving therapeutic food with your monthly gift?
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The UNICEF difference
For more than 75 years, we’ve been there for children at key moments in life when good nutrition matters most and are leaders in the fight to end hunger and malnutrition.
75-80%
of the world’s ready-to-use food (RUTF) supply is procured and distributed by UNICEF
44,554 metric tons
of RUTF were delivered to children in 59 countries in 202
5 million children
treated for severe wasting in humanitarian settings in 2021
Your monthly gift will help children learn, play and grow
Every gift – big or small – will help save and nourish the lives of children everywhere so they can enjoy the healthy childhood they deserve free from hunger and malnutrition. Join others across the globe to make a life-changing difference for children everywhere.
Your donation will help UNICEF to continue to screen millions of children and support treatments in UNICEF-supported clinics in countries facing conflict and emergency, like Yemen. Our work to help save lives begins with prevention and screening, for which we have a very simple but effective tool: MUAC tapes (mid-upper arm circumference).
Your donation for countries in conflict, like Yemen, will help children can get life-saving therapeutic food before it’s too late. In 2022, UNICEF screened 6.9 million children under five for malnutrition. Out of these, 376,588 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) were identified and admitted for treatment. Your donation helps send urgent funds where they are needed most.
Your donation ensures that children continue to get access to life-saving health care and vaccinations to fight against preventable diseases. In 2022, UNICEF vaccinated 1,239,129 children between 6 months and 10 years with measles-rubella (MR) vaccine.
UNICEF reached 6.6 million people, including over 3 million children, across Yemen with life-saving humanitarian assistance including safe drinking water, sanitation services, and essential WASH supplies.