61% increase in number of children suffering from acute malnutrition in Haiti

Haiti: The number of suffering children from acute malnutrition in Haiti may increase than double this year. UNICEF Regional Director of Latin America and the Caribbean warned of this suffering after concluding her field visit.

In Haiti, the life of the children is in danger by the combine attacks of the severe conditions of climate, COVID-19 virus attacks, unhygienic environment and lack of access to preventive nutrition services. 

Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said, “In just one year, more than twice the number of children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Haiti. In the hospitals, I was saddened to see so many children suffering from malnutrition. Some will not recover unless they receive treatment in time.”

61% increased have been reported in the children under 5 the cases of Acute malnutrition within last year. From last year number of 134,000 children increased to 217,000 in 2021, children during the, according to humanitarian needs overview (HNO) estimates.

26% increase has been reported in the three months of 2021 in cases of severe acute malnutrition in children all over Haiti compared to the past year.

Jean Gough, regional director, said, “Severe acute malnutrition can and should be treated right now to save children’s lives in Haiti. We can’t look the other way and ignore one of the least funded humanitarian crises in the region. Without additional, urgent funding in the next few weeks, the life-saving treatment we are providing against malnutrition will be discontinued, and some children will be at risk of dying.”

Jean Gough said that in an environment as precarious as Haiti, every child’s life they save today could be in danger again tomorrow unless they move beyond just *treating *malnutrition –to preventing it before it strikes. She was encouraged to see parents vaccinating their children in the health centers. Vaccinated and healthy children will get good grades in school and in the future Building Haiti’s future in the long run starts by curbing chronic malnutrition then.

UNICEF is all set with an amount of US$48.9 to fulfil the humanitarian needs in Haiti, which include 1.5 million people that also include 7,00,000 children who are fighting from increasing COVID-19 cases and acute malnutrition in the children.