A targeted investment of $2.5 million by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is poised to transform humanitarian supply chains in West Africa, significantly improving the lives of children at risk of malnutrition. The initiative focuses on building local manufacturing capacity for Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs), which are essential for treating severely malnourished children, while also supporting local economies.
The impact of this investment is illustrated by Yanoya, a child from north-east Nigeria who was on the brink of death due to severe malnutrition. Through treatment at a UNICEF-supported nutrition centre, Yanoya received peanut-based therapeutic foods that restored her health. By strengthening local production of these lifesaving foods, the UNCDF project aims to reach thousands more children like Yanoya, making treatment more accessible and cost-effective.
Peanuts, a nutrient-rich legume widely grown across West Africa, form the base of RUTFs. However, local sourcing of these ingredients has been limited due to a lack of specialized processing equipment and supply chains meeting UNICEF standards. UNCDF’s investment in processing infrastructure addresses these gaps, enabling local farmers to access reliable markets, boosting incomes, and reducing production costs for humanitarian agencies.
Charles Wetherill, Programme Development Advisor at UNCDF, emphasized that this initiative exemplifies the Fund’s approach of using first-mover, risk-tolerant capital to catalyze private sector engagement in challenging markets. The project strengthens a critical humanitarian supply chain while simultaneously creating jobs and opportunities for local communities.
