MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2018) As many as 590,000 children may die from extreme hunger by the end of this year, since two in three malnourished children in war zones are unlikely to receive the necessary treatment, Save the Children, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes children's rights, said on Monday, calling on the global community to address the issue by providing financial donations.
According to new research by the NGO, a total of 4,500,000 children under the age of five that live in conflict zones will need treatment for malnutrition in 2018, which is about a 20 percent increase compared to 2016. The charity's research covers countries such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Iraq.
"Using starvation as a weapon of war has become the new normal, with devastating consequences for children. From Yemen to South Sudan, the failure to protect children from hunger is putting lives at risk. But deaths from hunger are not inevitable. Just �30 [$38.82] can prevent a child from starving if it is delivered through dedicated professionals," Save the Children CEO Kevin Watkins said, as quoted by the NGO's website.
He added that the charity's teams could save "tens of thousands" more children if they were given proper support.
According to Save the Children, the weakened immune systems of these malnourished kids make them an easy target for diseases like pneumonia, cholera and malaria. Malnutrition can have a life-long effect on the person's physical and mental development.
The charity emphasized that humanitarian agencies were constantly facing funding shortages, as well as warring parties' growing efforts to prevent aid deliveries.
Save the Children, established in 1919, carries out humanitarian programs with the aim of protecting children's rights, and promoting health care and education in 120 countries.
