Geneva, January 13 (QNA) - The United Nations on Thursday launched an appeal to raise funds to help 30 million severely malnourished children in countries affected by the food crisis.
Five UN agencies confirmed in a joint statement that "more than 30 million children in the 15 most affected countries suffer from wasting - acute malnutrition - and eight million of these children suffer from severe wasting, the most fatal form of undernutrition." The appeal was issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); the UN refugee agency, UNHCR; the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The skyrocketing food prices exacerbate food shortages and impede access to affordable basic foodstuffs. Conflicts, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the situation, according to the UN agencies.
The action plan will include children under the age of five, pregnant and lactating women, and mothers and caregivers of children under five. (QNA)