Context:
One in four children under age 5 around the world is experiencing severe food poverty, according to the recently released Child Nutrition Report 2024.
Relevance:
GS III: Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Child Nutrition Report 2024
- Highlights of the 2024 Report
About Child Nutrition Report 2024:
- Released By:
- The report was published by UNICEF.
- Scope:
- It assesses the status, trends, inequalities, and causes of child food poverty in early childhood, including the effects of global and local food and nutrition crises.
- Focus:
- The report emphasizes low- and middle-income countries where most children suffering from food poverty live, examining the consequences of child food poverty on malnutrition and developmental issues.
- Definition:
- UNICEF defines child food poverty as the inability of children to access and consume a nutritious and varied diet during early childhood (the first five years of life).
Highlights of the 2024 Report:
- Global Statistics:
- One in four children under the age of 5 worldwide (about 27% or 181 million children) experiences severe food poverty and is at risk of life-threatening malnutrition.
- Regional Data:
- Over two-thirds of the 181 million young children facing severe food poverty reside in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with 20 countries accounting for 65% of these children.
- Affected Countries:
- The countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, South Africa, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Yemen.
- Economic Impact:
- The report found that children in both poor and non-poor households are affected by severe food poverty.
- Approximately half (97 million) of the children living in severe food poverty are from middle- and upper-income households.
-Source: UNICEF
