Nishi Kumar is working as an intern at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and blogging for Fieldnotes.
It's the season of my favorite foods: turkey and mashed potatoes, holiday gingerbread cookies and warm pumpkin pie. With a fridge full of leftovers, it is almost impossible for me to imagine the reality of hunger. Alarmingly, however, the global hunger situation this year is more critical than ever before. The United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that, for the first time in recorded history, more than one billion people—one-sixth of the world’s population–are under-nourished.
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| © UNICEF/NYHQ2009-0812/Marta Ramoneda |
| Six-month-old Ali Raza, who is severely malnourished, is weighed on a scale in a therapeutic feeding center in Karachi, Pakistan. Monitoring weight is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition. |
Malnutrition is more than hunger, and its consequences are most lethal and debilitating for children. It saps their immune systems, making them more vulnerable to disease. In fact, malnutrition plays a role in more than one-third of all child deaths—it is one of the world’s most invisible killers. When children manage to recover, the long-term effects include stunted growth, weakened health and intellect, and diminished motivation.
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| © UNICEF/KENA00418/Shehzad Noorani | |
| A child eats Plumpy Nut during a health monitoring session nutrition clinic in Turkana District, Kenya. The therapeutic food can by eaten by children directly from the package. |
The recent financial crisis and deteriorating global economy have made the situation even more urgent. In response UNICEF has aggressively expanded its nutrition programs by supplying community clinics and training staff to recognize and treat malnutrition. UNICEF also distributes ready-to-use therapeutic food, such as nut spread, protein biscuits, and therapeutic milk, which can reverse the effects of malnutrition with miraculous speed. With just three daily packets of Plumpy’nut—a high protein peanut paste that requires no mixing or preparation—a severely malnourished child can be brought back from the brink of death.
It is not only the season of hot chocolate and apple pie, but also the season of giving. You can help UNICEF combat malnutrition and disease by purchasing our Inspired Gifts for your family and friends. After you choose an innovative gift, such as our Plumpy’nut spread, the item will then be shipped to one of the many high-need regions of the world. Imagine—for just $77.63 (one-third the price of a new iPod), you can give the gift of life to ten severely malnourished children.
These gifts, and many others, allow you to make a difference and support UNICEF in the fight against malnutrition this holiday season.
