HUNGER AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan, wars are driving more and more people into hunger. Families are losing their whole means of subsistence, children are going without food, and rising food prices are making it impossible for many to get enough food. Last year, 309 million people did not have enough to eat. This compares with 258 million in 2022.

Behind these alarming figures are heartbreaking stories of children whose lives are shattered by hunger every single day. The world slowly begins to fade before their eyes, their desire to play diminishes and their energy fades. In the early days of hunger, the body starts to burn its fat reserves for energy. The children lose their appetite, become tired and find it difficult to concentrate. Over the next three weeks, the effects are catastrophic. Vital organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys fail, muscles weaken, and vision deteriorates drastically – the body fights for survival.

33 children

are born into hunger every minute on average.

But there is still hope – thanks to people like you. Together, we can provide immediate aid for these children. We provide children with medical care, help families to access essential supplies and train health workers to detect and treat malnutrition. Our goal is to relieve immediate suffering and build a stable foundation for long-term well-being.

With your support, you can make a difference to the lives of children in need – give children a spoonful of laughter today.

YOUR SUPPORT GIVES CHILDREN A SPOONFUL OF LAUGHTER

Behind every statistic is a child with a unique story. Stories like that of a little girl in Somalia who cannot sleep because she is hungry. Or that of a boy in Afghanistan who is so weak that he can hardly stand. With your donation, you give children a spoonful of laughter. Discover for yourself how much difference your support makes.

Meet Maryan

Three-year-old Maryan lives with her family in Kenya and fights for survival every day. She is suffering from acute malnutrition and is too weak to play. ‘When children have full stomachs, they run around and play – but when they are hungry, they can’t even sleep,’ explains Maryan’s mum.

Dusty ground, scorched pastures and dried-up waterholes define the landscape – Kenya is gripped by a severe drought. The lack of rain has severely affected Maryan and her family. They are rarely able to get food. Like Maryan, countless children in the region are battling hunger and malnutrition.

Save the Children is supporting families in this region by providing them with cash so that they can give their children the nourishment they urgently need. We also train healthcare workers to treat malnourished children and are expanding health clinics in remote areas.

How your donation can help

Together we can combat hunger and give children the nourishment they so urgently need, allowing children like Maryan to enjoy being children. Your donation will be used for all our activities, wherever suffering children need them most urgently.

With 60 Swiss francs

you can provide a malnourished child with eight weeks of treatment using therapeutic peanut paste

Ein Gedeck für ein Essen

With 120 Swiss francs

you can provide a family of six with enough food for about one month.

With 250 Swiss francs

you can finance goats for three families, with each family receiving two goats, so they can provide nutritious milk for their children.