At least four African countries—Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan—are at risk of running out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) within three months due to aid cuts, Save the Children warns. This shortage threatens the lives of severely malnourished children unless urgent action is taken.
RUTF is a nutrient-packed paste made from peanuts, sugar, milk powder, oil, vitamins, and minerals. It comes in foil packets that don’t need refrigeration and has saved millions of children over the past 30 years. Children who are malnourished are nine times more likely to die from common infections compared to well-nourished kids.
In Nigeria, about 3.5 million children under five suffer from severe malnutrition, mostly in the northeast and northwest. The country needs around 629,000 cartons of RUTF to treat them during the lean season but has only secured 64% so far.
Northern Kenya, especially Turkana county, faces rising hunger due to repeated droughts and floods. An estimated 2.8 million people in Kenya are expected to face severe food insecurity in 2025. The region needs 105,000 cartons of RUTF, but only 77% has been delivered. Sister Winnie, a nurse in Turkana, says aid cuts forced her clinic to find supplies elsewhere to avoid losing children.
In Somalia, nearly half of children under five—about 1.8 million—face malnutrition. One in eight needs urgent treatment, but only 39% of required nutrition funding is in place. September could bring more disruptions to aid programs.
Fifteen-month-old Dalmar, born premature, was saved at a Save the Children-supported stabilization center. However, funding cuts forced the center to switch to a substitute therapeutic milk, which has slowed recovery for children.
South Sudan has seen a 10.5% rise in acute malnutrition among children under five this year. Yet, just one-third of those needing treatment received it, due to closed nutrition centers and funding gaps.
Yvonne Arunga, Save the Children’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said, “Imagine watching your child weaken while the only help is therapeutic food—and that food runs out. Hunger crosses borders, and aid cuts have led to a dangerous shortage of lifesaving nutrition.”
Globally, cuts in nutrition funding threaten to cut off treatment for over 15 million people in 18 countries in 2025, including 2.3 million severely malnourished children. The situation is expected to worsen in 2026.
Save the Children, which has been supporting children’s nutrition for more than 100 years, calls on the international community to increase flexible funding and strengthen supply chains to reach children in urgent need.
