Islamabad: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over Pakistan’s severe shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), essential for treating severe acute malnutrition, or wasting, among children under five.
UNICEF has warned that funding shortfalls are putting nearly two million children in Pakistan and 11 other countries at risk of not receiving the life-saving treatment. Countries like Mali, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad are already facing or nearing complete stock-outs of RUTF, while Pakistan, alongside nations like Cameroon, Sudan, and Kenya, could deplete their supplies by mid-2025.
In a statement released on World Food Day, UNICEF revealed that as of August 2024, only about 262,000 severely malnourished children in Pakistan—just one-third of those in need—had received RUTF treatment. The remaining supplies are projected to last only until March 2025, jeopardizing ongoing efforts to combat malnutrition.
“The urgency to replenish RUTF supplies is crucial for the survival and recovery of severely malnourished children,” said UNICEF’s Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil. He stressed that immediate action and consistent support are essential to avoid a worsening crisis.
Fadil added that ensuring a continuous RUTF supply and bolstering prevention and treatment programs in high-risk areas are key to saving lives and protecting the health and future of Pakistan’s most vulnerable children.
UNICEF is urgently seeking $11.9 million to procure 300,000 cartons of RUTF for Pakistan as part of a broader global appeal. The organization’s No Time to Waste 2024 Update and Call to Urgent Action aims to raise $165 million to fund treatment for the two million children at risk globally due to RUTF shortages.
UNICEF highlighted that nearly two million children worldwide are at risk of death from severe wasting, driven by factors such as conflict, economic shocks, and climate crises. Levels of severe wasting among children under five remain dangerously high in many regions.
Victor Aguayo, UNICEF’s Director of Child Nutrition and Development, emphasized that while the past two years have seen an unprecedented global response to child wasting, more immediate action is required to save lives. Aguayo also underscored UNICEF’s push to support local production of RUTF and other fortified foods through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), which aims to counter supply chain disruptions, reduce environmental impacts, and create local economic opportunities.
Once fully operational, the CNF will help shield affected countries from future funding shortages and fluctuations in demand, ensuring a more sustainable supply of life-saving nutrition.
