Democratic Republic Of Congo
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday said at least half of all children under five years of age in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are suffering from acute malnutrition.
In a report released , UNICEF said the number included 400,000 children who were severely malnourished and at risk of death.
It warned that unless urgent action was taken to strengthen the humanitarian response, the number of child deaths could skyrocket in the region.
UNICEF said conflict and displacement have been major drivers of malnutrition in Kasai.
It said food insecurity in Kasai has been compounded by a sharp drop in land productivity linked to displacement which has rendered many families unable to plant and harvest their crops. In some areas, three crop seasons were missed.
UNICEF said in association with its partners, it has so far secured the release of more than 1,700 children from militias, and provided them with psychosocial support and help in reintegrating their communities.
To fund its programs for the children of Kasai in 2018, UNICEF has appealed for $ 88 million.
00:24
DR Congo: is Katanga the next target for M23 rebels?
02:07
Fear and uncertainty grip Uvira after M23 seizes strategic city
00:10
UNICEF urges action as child humanitarian crisis deepens
01:10
An estimated five million children displaced by Sudan's civil war
01:52
Nigeria: Abducted schoolchildren reunite with families as over 150 remain captive
00:52
France and Nigeria to strengthen relations amid Nigerian security crisis