An estimated 14 million children are projected to face interruptions in nutrition support and services due to recent and anticipated global funding reductions, significantly increasing their risk of severe malnutrition and mortality.

This alarming situation was highlighted in preliminary analyses released by UNICEF during the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris. The funding crisis comes at a time of unprecedented need for children, who are dealing with record levels of displacement, ongoing conflicts, disease outbreaks, and the severe impacts of climate change—all of which compromise their access to adequate nutrition.

@UNICEF Around the world, children are caught up in crises not of their own making.

As their needs continue to surpass resources, global funding cuts are putting millions of lives at risk.

Even when others step back, UNICEF remains. Stay for children. Stay with us. pic.twitter.com/l7fW88PSZ1

— The blacklist. (@Sani_arma_) April 9, 2025

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized the progress made over the past few decades in reducing global child malnutrition, stating, “Since 2000, the number of stunted children under five has decreased by 55 million, saving the lives of millions of severely malnourished children.”

However, she warned that significant funding cuts threaten to reverse these achievements and endanger the lives of millions more children.

The repercussions of these funding cuts across 17 high-priority countries include:

More than 2.4 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition may lack access to Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the remainder of 2025.
Up to 2,300 life-saving stabilization centers that provide essential care for children with severe wasting and medical complications are at risk of closure or drastic service reductions.
Nearly 28,000 outpatient therapeutic centers supported by UNICEF for malnutrition treatment are jeopardized, with some already ceasing operations.

Currently, rates of severe wasting among children under five remain alarmingly high in various fragile contexts and humanitarian crises, with adolescent girls and women being particularly vulnerable.

Even before the funding reductions, the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women, along with adolescent girls facing acute malnutrition, surged from 5.5 million to 6.9 million—a 25 percent increase since 2020. UNICEF warns that these numbers are likely to rise further without immediate intervention from donors and sufficient investments from national governments.

Russell urged both governments and donors to prioritize health and nutrition programs for children and called on national governments to increase their funding for local nutrition and health services. She stated that proper nutrition is essential for children’s survival and development, yielding significant returns on investment that benefit families, communities, and nations—ultimately contributing to a more stable world.

To address child and maternal malnutrition sustainably—focusing on prevention, detection, and treatment—UNICEF introduced the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) in 2023 with support from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Gates Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. UNICEF continues to appeal to governments, partners, and philanthropic donors to support this vital fund and other flexible funding initiatives aimed at benefiting children and women.

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