Coronavirus Threatens Global Surge in Malnutrition, Jeopardizing Future of an Extra 10 Million Children (For the Media)

Coronavirus may push an additional 10 million of the world’s children into acute malnutrition. The United Nations World Food Programme estimates that the number of young children suffering from this life-threatening form of undernutrition could increase by 20 percent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WFP is ready to scale up its response to prevent and treat acute malnutrition and improve nutritious diets of children but urgently needs US$300 million to do so.
Acute malnutrition is caused by inadequate food consumption or illness, or both, resulting in sudden weight loss that, if untreated, can lead to death.