Food for Life
Make a gift of life.
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Millions of children today are struggling to survive due to lack of food. Severe acute malnutrition is one of the greatest threats to children's lives – but it is a threat we can tackle together.
By providing ready-to-use therapeutic food, UNICEF can help children suffering from severe acute malnutrition to survive and recover.
You can help by donating 54 sachets of therapeutic food per month, for just €0.60 per day.
What is severe acute malnutrition?
Children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have weakened immune systems, are prone to long-term developmental delays and face an increased risk of death, especially in cases where wasting is severe.
Globally, in 2024, 6.6% of children under the age of 5 suffered from wasting and 1.9% from severe wasting due to malnutrition, corresponding to 42.8 million and 12.2 million children respectively, while severe acute malnutrition causes 1 million deaths each year. Many children suffer from poverty, food shortages, and limited access to care, with only 1 in 3 receiving life-saving treatment.
South Asia remains the region with the highest numbers, highlighting the need for more timely and effective interventions to address the problem.
What is ready-to-use-therapeutic food?
Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a peanut butter-based paste that helps children survive severe malnutrition. In just a few weeks, it can help a child regain strength and recover. It is a nutrient-rich paste made from peanuts, powdered milk, sugar, oil, vitamins and minerals. It comes in a single-serving sachet that requires no mixing, clean water or refrigeration. Children can eat it straight from the packet — safely, anywhere.
This ready-to-use therapeutic food has helped millions of children with severe wasting recover quickly, often within a few weeks, and can be used at home so families don't have to travel long distances for treatment.
What does UNICEF do about acute malnutrition?
UNICEF supplies 75-80% of the ready-to-use therapeutic food worldwide, delivering it to remote communities and supporting governments to integrate the treatment of wasting into routine health services. In emergencies and in everyday situations, UNICEF works to ensure that every child with severe acute malnutrition receives the food they need to save their lives.
However, millions of children still do not have access to treatment. By supporting UNICEF's nutrition programs, you can help deliver ready-to-use therapeutic food to the children who need it most — giving them the chance not only to survive, but to thrive.
