An analysis by Save the Children ahead of the United Nations General Assembly reveals that child malnutrition in conflict-affected countries remains alarmingly high, undermining global progress toward ending hunger. In 20 conflict-affected countries, more than one in three children under five—approximately 44 million—are stunted, a figure that has not improved since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. Globally, 150 million children were stunted in 2024, far above the SDG target of reducing this number to 108 million by 2025. Stunting, caused by chronic undernutrition, can result in lifelong physical and cognitive impairments.
Acute malnutrition, or wasting, which is the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, has also failed to decline in line with global targets. In 2024, at least 43 million children under five were acutely malnourished, exceeding the SDG 2.2 interim goal of 32 million. Conflict zones such as Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza exhibit particularly high rates due to violence, restricted access, and denials of aid, putting thousands of children at heightened risk of death. Conflict disrupts food production, displaces families, destroys infrastructure, and, in some cases, starvation is used as a method of warfare.
Personal stories, such as that of Maha from Yemen, illustrate the human toll of these crises. Displaced multiple times, Maha struggled to feed her children amid skyrocketing food prices, resulting in her nine-month-old daughter Amal becoming severely malnourished. Through Save the Children’s screening and treatment programs, Amal received therapeutic food and medical care, while Maha was provided guidance on nutrition, hygiene, and infant feeding practices.
Save the Children’s UN Representative, Mohamad Alasmar, emphasized the urgency of addressing malnutrition, noting that stalled progress condemns millions of children to life-long harm or death. He stressed that equitable access to nutritious food, tackling climate challenges, building resilient food and health systems, and ending conflicts are essential to ending malnutrition. Deliberate blockades and restricted humanitarian access in places like Gaza and Sudan exacerbate the crisis, making political solutions and unrestricted aid critical.
Funding gaps further threaten life-saving interventions. The Global Nutrition Cluster estimates a 72% shortfall in humanitarian nutrition funding, with only $186 million secured of the $659 million needed for the remaining months of 2025. Save the Children has supported 43.5 million children and families globally between 2022 and 2024, but aid cuts now put this essential support at risk. The organization calls on the international community to urgently meet its commitments to end malnutrition and prevent starvation and mass child mortality in conflict-affected regions.
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