Every child should have good food
Updated October 2025
In 2024, the Save the Children global movement directly supported 41.2 million children in 93 countries around the world through our movement’s health, nutrition
and education programmes.
Children going hungry isn't new. But many of the reasons are: pandemics, rising prices, disasters caused by climate change – and now, devastating cuts to the aid that saves lives.
It means that, even today, one in four children don't get the nutritious food they need to explore a world of possibility. Here's how we're changing that.
Our hunger relief and nutrition programmes help millions every year
Around the world, our teams provide counselling, breastfeeding support, malnutrition screening, vitamin supplements and cash transfers.
And we're pioneering new methods of predicting food crises, so governments can take action sooner.
The funding crisis making hunger worse
The global hunger crisis has deepened dramatically in 2025. Aid cuts are predicted to cut off treatment for 15.6 million people across 18 countries, including over 2.3 million severely malnourished children, which could lead to 369,000 extra child deaths each year.
Health clinics are closing around the world, and there's a global shortage of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) – the life-saving treatment that helps severely malnourished children recover. Without urgent action, children who could be saved will lose their lives to a completely preventable condition.
But with your support, we can keep vital nutrition services running and reach children before it's too late: a £10 monthly donation could supply 60 sachets of food paste to malnourished children every month.
How we're helping Ereng*
Ereng, 18 months, loves eating the fortified peanut paste she has been given by Community Health Promoter Charles as part of her malnutrition treatment. Here she eats the whole packet in one go.
When drought hit their village in Kenya, Ereng’s family lost everything. With no livestock left, there was no food—and 18-month-old Ereng* became dangerously malnourished.
Her mum, Lomanat*, walked for miles to reach a Save the Children-supported clinic. There, health worker Charles gave Ereng fortified peanut paste and showed Lomanat how to monitor her daughter’s health using a simple MUAC tape.
Big brother Mzee*, 8, did his part too. “I feed her well and I play with her,” he says. “If there is any food, I feed her anything that is available.”
After two months of treatment, Ereng gained 2.4kg and was discharged—healthy and smiling.
“I am very happy, because she is cured” says Lomanat. “She was in a very bad shape, she was malnourished”
*Names changed to protect identities
Child hunger: the scale of the crisis
37.7 million children were acutely malnourished in 2024, with 10.2 million severely malnourished
At least 18.2 million children were born into hunger in 2024 – about 35 children a minute
1 million child deaths a year are linked to severe malnutrition
45 million children under five are at risk of wasting – that's 7% of all children under 5
Improving breastfeeding rates could save over 820,000 children's lives each year
How are we helping?
When aid cuts threatened lifesaving nutrition services in early 2025, our Children's Emergency Fund released £2.16 million to nine countries to keep these vital services running. In Somalia alone, £280,000 kept 16 health and nutrition centres open, helping more than 38,000 people overall.
Here's what we're doing around the world:
Kenya and Somalia: In 2024, we continued strengthening community systems to address child malnutrition, working directly with families to prevent and treat hunger before it becomes life-threatening. In Somalia, we're fighting to keep nutrition centres open after 18 Save the Children-supported facilities had to stop services, putting at least 55,000 children with severe malnutrition at risk.
Sudan: Famine has been detected in at least five areas of Sudan after two years of devastating conflict. Our teams are treating thousands of children for severe malnutrition while supporting families with cash transfers and essential healthcare.
Northern Nigeria: We're providing small grants and dietary advice with DFID to help 60,000 pregnant women and mothers get the nutritious food they and their children need in their first 1,000 days.
Niger: We're tackling malnutrition in pregnant women and children under two, focusing on breastfeeding and complementary feeding support. We're also teaching improved farming techniques and empowering women and girls to earn and save.
South Sudan: Using community-based approaches to prevent malnutrition, we run outpatient feeding programmes to help children stay healthy.
Yemen: We're distributing food and cash grants to families. We're creating safe spaces and providing support for mothers to breastfeed and improve the diet of their young children. Our teams are also treating children for malnutrition.
Why should you still care about hunger?
Common questions about child hunger
How many children worldwide are malnourished?
37.7 million children were acutely malnourished in 2024, with 10.2 million severely malnourished. That's roughly one in five deaths among children under five attributed to severe malnutrition, making it one of the biggest threats to child survival.
Why are children going hungry in 2025?
Child hunger has worsened dramatically due to a perfect storm of crises. Conflict remains the biggest driver – 70% of the world's hungry people live in areas affected by war and violence. Climate change is causing devastating droughts and floods that destroy crops. Economic turmoil has pushed food prices beyond reach for many families. And now, global aid cuts are forcing health clinics to close and cutting off treatment for millions of malnourished children.
What is severe acute malnutrition?
Severe acute malnutrition (also called severe wasting) is the most extreme form of undernutrition. It weakens children's immune systems, making common childhood illnesses potentially deadly. Without treatment, it can cause death. A severely malnourished child is 11 times more likely to die from diseases like pneumonia or diarrhoea than a well-nourished child.
How is child malnutrition treated?
Children with uncomplicated severe malnutrition can often be treated in their communities with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) – a nutrient-rich paste that doesn't need cooking or clean water to prepare. Over 90% of children treated with RUTF recover from malnutrition. Children also receive antibiotics, deworming medicine, and nutritional supplements. Those with complications need specialized treatment in health facilities.
What is RUTF and why does it matter?
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food is a high-energy, nutrient-rich paste (often peanut-based) that has transformed malnutrition treatment. It can be used safely at home without cooking or clean water, which means children can be treated faster and closer to home. It has a long shelf life and is highly effective – but right now there's a global shortage, leaving two-thirds of children who need it unable to access this life-saving treatment.
Are any countries facing famine right now?
Yes. Famine has been detected in at least five areas of Sudan, with 24.6 million people including 16 million children facing acute food insecurity. In Gaza, famine is unfolding across the entire population. Parts of South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali face extreme hunger and are at risk without urgent humanitarian action. But it's crucial to remember that children die from hunger-related causes long before famine is declared – which is why early action is so vital.
