Malnutrition | UNICEF Canada: For Every Child

Learn more about UNICEF’s work under the topic "Malnutrition".

UN report: Global hunger levels ease for third consecutive year as regional disparities persist

The 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) also examines the cost of healthy diets.

A woman in a red sweater feeds a young child with a spoon from a bowl; bananas and baskets are nearby, and trees are visible in the background.

UNICEF calls for urgent action as peak wasting season nears and child food and nutrition insecurity puts 3.7 million children in Afghanistan at heightened risk of malnutrition

New analysis highlights the need to protect young children’s diets, prioritise children under two, and strengthen multisectoral services to prevent malnutrition.

A health worker feeds a child ready-to-eat therepeutic food while his mother holds him

FAST FACTS: 30 years of life-saving therapeutic food for children, yet millions more still need it - UNICEF

For three decades, a small sachet of fortified peanut paste has been one of the most powerful tools to combat severe wasting – the deadliest form of malnutrition – in children under five.

A smiling woman embraces a giggling child holding a packet of peanut paste.

Acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain alarmingly high as crises deepen, UN, EU and partners warn in new report

Over the past decade acute hunger numbers have doubled, while funding retreats to 2016 levels

A health worker measures the upper arm of a young child sitting on a woman's lap with a colored band. The setting appears to be an aid center.

Lives of malnourished children at risk with upsurge in violence in South Sudan

More than 450,000 children are at risk of acute malnutrition as the hostilities are causing mass displacement and halting of critical health and nutrition services in Jonglei state, warned UNICEF in South Sudan.

A young child sits in a red chair, holding an infant being assessed for malnutrition in a crowded room. The scene is serious and focused on well-being.

Nutrition survey finds unprecedented level of child malnutrition in part of Sudan’s North Darfur

Comprehensive nutrition survey in Um Baru locality found more than 50 per cent of children under five acutely malnourished

A child's arm is measured with a MUAC tape by two adults, wearing a red and white garment. The scene conveys care and urgency in a healthcare context.

Born vulnerable: the toll of maternal malnutrition and stress in Gaza

At least 165 children are reported to have died painful, preventable deaths related to malnutrition during the war.

A malnourished baby in a blue and red outfit with a colorful emblem rests in his mother's arms, looking up with a tired expression. The person wears a black garment, suggesting a gentle and protective tone.

Hunger numbers stubbornly high for three consecutive years as global crises deepen: UN report

1 in 11 people worldwide faced hunger in 2023, 1 in 5 in Africa

Israa eats a piece of bread in Khan Younis city.

1 in 4 children globally live in severe child food poverty due to inequity, conflict, and climate crises – UNICEF

Children experiencing this level of food poverty are up to 50 per cent more likely to suffer from life-threatening malnutrition, new analysis finds

Daw Buu Shane feeding her daughter a nutritous meal cooked with ingredients grown in her backyard.

Malnutrition in mothers soars by 25 per cent in crisis-hit countries, putting women and newborn babies at risk – UNICEF

With half of stunting in children under 2 developing during pregnancy and before six months, new report raises the alarm on the need to invest in essential nutrition programmes for adolescent girls and women

Tags: Malnutrition

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