UNICEF Names Nigeria, Ghana, 61 Others As Countries Facing Severe Food Scarcity, Poverty Issues

According to a recent United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) study, Nigeria, Ghana, and 61 other nations are currently grappling with food scarcity issues.

The most recent edition of the report, covering the month of June 2024, also highlighted Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Niger, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, South Africa, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Yemen as countries facing similar challenges.

The report noted that among the nations struggling with food insecurity the Tunisia, Nepal, Vietnam, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Montenegro, Albania, Tonga, Indonesia, Gambia, Haiti, Burkina Faso, and Rwanda.

The study underscores the global issue of parents and families finding it increasingly challenging to offer their young children nutritious and varied diets for their development and growth.

“Growing inequities, conflict, and climate crises, combined with rising food prices, the overabundance of unhealthy foods, harmful food marketing strategies, and poor child feeding practices, are condemning millions of children to child food poverty,” the report added.

The report reveals that one out of every four kids (27%) is experiencing extreme food poverty during their early years, which amounts to 181 million kids under the age of five.

The organization described food poverty in children as the situation where they cannot get and eat a varied and healthy diet during their early development.

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It pointed out that kids facing extreme food poverty are not getting enough of the foods rich in nutrients, and unhealthy options are becoming a regular part of their diets, leading to the problem of child undernutrition.

Concerned about the problem of children not getting enough nutrients, UNICEF urged governments and their partners to put resources into efforts to ensure children have access to a variety of healthy foods and to solve the issue of extreme food poverty among children.

“Elevate child food poverty reduction as a requirement for achieving global and national nutrition and development goals and a metric of success in meeting children’s right to food and nutrition; and commit resources to end child food poverty,” it said.