Governments gathered in Rome offered no funding for childhood deaths from hunger
NEW YORK, NY— International diplomats assembled at this week's World Food Summit in Rome failed yet again to take action on acute malnutrition, which kills up to five million children in developing countries every year. Despite initial pledges of $20 billion for agricultural assistance made at the G8 Summit earlier this year, world leaders have not provided any specific funding to address childhood malnutrition.
Action Against Hunger - ACF International expressed regret today that the World Food Summit produced no concrete commitments toward reducing the number of child deaths from malnutrition. Although acute malnutrition is preventable and readily curable, currently less than 10 percent of children can access treatment.
"As governments dither, millions of children are dying," said Nan Dale, Executive Director of Action Against Hunger. "All that's needed to bring proven methods to scale is political will, but that was in short supply this week." Seven of the G8 leaders were absent from the World Food Summit, which was convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Last year Action Against Hunger treated some 400,000 children with acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger. The global humanitarian organization has responded to recent childhood malnutrition outbreaks in a number of countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and the Central Africa Republic, and runs prevention programs worldwide that reach some five million people each year.
Action Against Hunger reiterates its call for world leaders to prioritize malnutrition as part of ongoing efforts to address global food insecurity by:
1. Allocating specific funding to the detection, treatment and prevention of childhood malnutrition;
2. Reflecting the importance of food safety nets in financial commitments. Safety nets help families afford a nutritious diet for their children and protect against shocks to food consumption;
3. Creating international and national mechanisms to address malnutrition from a range of sectors, including agricultural development, health, water & sanitation, and nutrition; and
4. Establishing an accountability mechanism to ensure commitments are leveraged into real action.
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger - ACF International is a global humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger. Recognized as a leader in the fight against malnutrition, ACF works to save the lives of malnourished children while providing communities with sustainable access to safe water and long-term solutions to hunger. With 30 years of expertise in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity, ACF runs life-saving programs in some 40 countries benefiting 5 million people each year.
Press Contact
Action Against Hunger - USA
James L. Phelan
Senior External Relations Officer, ACF-USA
Contact James Phelan
Direct: 212-967-7800 x108
Cell: 646-265-7796
