Aid Cuts Have Dire Consequences for Malnutrition
Photo © UNICEF Ethiopia
A global nutrition crisis is unfolding
Aid cuts announced in early 2025—estimated at 44%—are threatening to undo decades of progress and will have a devastating impact on global health. These cuts are dismantling vital programs that support nutrition and keep millions healthy, including programs in agriculture, school feeding, water and sanitation.
On March 26, 2025, the ST4N consortium published new analysis in the scientific journal Nature, that models the impact that these aid cuts will have on the most vulnerable children. The experts warn that an estimated 2.3 million young children are at risk of losing access to lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM)—without treatment, up to 60% of children with SAM may die. A total of 369,000 additional child deaths per year are projected due to the impacts of these cuts on SAM programs, with 163,500 linked to U.S. aid reductions alone.
Photo © Mohammad Bash / Shutterstock.com
A time for joint decisions for a better future
Beyond the immediate threat to hundreds of thousands of lives, these cuts will make the world less safe, less secure, and less prosperous, as nutrition is fundamental to preventing migration, conflict, and to promoting productivity. It is a fundamental driver of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition to the Nature Comment, the experts published a policy brief with key recommendations. They challenge governments and funders to restore lifesaving nutrition interventions, support national governments in scaling up evidence-based nutrition programs, diversify funding sources, and implement data-driven nutrition solutions.
ST4N urges the global nutrition community to come together to safeguard nutrition for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Our collective future depends on it.
Photos © UNICEF Ethiopia (left); Richard Juilliart /Shutterstock.com (right)
About ST4N
ST4N is multidisciplinary consortium of leading climate, food system, nutrition, gender, and health experts examining the scale and reach of climate crises and their adverse impact on nutrition for millions of vulnerable women and children. ST4N is hosted by the Micronutrient Forum, a nonprofit organization and the central global platform for evidence, collaboration, and advocacy on micronutrient health.
Learn more about the experts helping to guide ST4N’s work here.
