Our Civil Society Alliance in Vietnam, led by Alive & Thrive, and thanks to FHI Solutions’ Innovation Incubator, have teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) company Hekate. Their aim? To try and end exploitative marketing of commercial milk formula and related products within the scope of the BMS code, on the digital frontline. Hekate, a […]
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Ukraine conflict highlights the fragility of the global food system and will have damaging impact on nutrition of the most vulnerable, warns SUN Movement’s Civil Society Network.
Members of the SUN Movement’s Civil Society Network are already reporting food shortages and escalation in prices due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which will have knock-on effects on the state of nutrition globally. The Russian Federation and Ukraine are among the most important producers of agricultural commodities in the world. Organisations such as […]
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Life under the Taliban: Obstacles faced in Afghanistan
Part 4: Being a child in Afghanistan Written by Zuhra Dadgar-Shafiq, Programme Director and Co-Founder of Action for Development who provide vital health and education services in Afghanistan to the most marginalized and vulnerable individuals through cost-effective, cascade-model projects that allow for community participation and empowerment. Afghanistan has been struggling with conflict for over 40 years. The situation […]
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Life under the Taliban: Obstacles faced in Afghanistan
Part 3: Rising food prices Written by Zuhra Dadgar-Shafiq, Programme Director and Co-Founder of Action for Development who provide vital health and education services in Afghanistan to the most marginalized and vulnerable individuals through cost-effective, cascade-model projects that allow for community participation and empowerment. Afghanistan has been struggling with conflict for over 40 years. The […]
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The African Union Year of Nutrition
At their annual meeting in February of 2022, the African Union declared 2022 ‘The Year of Nutrition for Africa’. This is an exciting initiative as it will shine a spotlight on nutrition in Africa and push for greater political commitment on nutrition and increased investment to address the ongoing malnutrition challenges. The AU will strive […]
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The Youth: Secret Ingredient for a Sustainable Food System
Food and Nutrition Youth Network (FNYN) Philippines Launched By: Rose Jade Eugenie Delgado SUN Youth Leader for Nutrition & FNYN Philippines Convenor In the recipe of shaping a more sustainable food system, we need: a cup of policy changes by governments, a pinch of investment and innovation from businesses and the private sector, a dash of advocacy from Civil Society Organizations, a […]
ReadThe Future of Nutrition: Accountability towards 2030
Almost 10 years after the first Nutrition For Growth Summit, we are still nowhere near meeting the targets laid out for 2025. Rates of stunting, wasting and obesity are still on the rise, while fragile and conflict-affected famines have been forgotten. Add on to that a global pandemic and the exponential number of climate-related disasters, […]
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Climate change takes centre stage at the UN Food Systems Summit
More than 150 countries and key stakeholders came together yesterday to commit to transforming food systems, combatting biodiversity loss and tackling global hunger. The first ever United Nations Food Systems Summit (FSS) brought together world leaders, members of civil society, youth activists, and representatives from indigenous populations along with donors, academics, and members of the private sector […]
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A SUN Movement Call to Action for Nutrition ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021
A multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach to nutrition must be front and centre in food systems transformations *Originally published on the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement website.* The United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in September was called for by the UN Secretary General in recognition that current food systems are failing people and the planet alike. […]
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Message of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan
At the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network we are deeply concerned with the news from Afghanistan and the worrying reports of severe hunger crisis due to extreme drought. Even before the Taliban advancement, Afghanistan had one of the world’s highest rates of stunting in children under-5 years old; 40.9% are stunted and 9.5% are […]
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At the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network we are deeply concerned with the news from Afghanistan and the worrying reports of severe hunger crisis due to extreme drought.
Even before the Taliban advancement, Afghanistan had one of the world’s highest rates of stunting in children under-5 years old; 40.9% are stunted and 9.5% are wasted. In Afghanistan today, 14.7 million people are estimated to be living in acute food insecurity[i], with an estimated 2 million children under the age of 5 affected by acute malnutrition[ii].
The Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these figures due to closed borders and rising food prices. Afghanistan is largely dependent on its neighbours for the basic supplies and imports around 4.5 million metric tons of wheat every year. Due to the closure of borders and difficulties in transit with Pakistan, Iran, and other neighbouring countries in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the normal flow of food imports changed.
The combination of these factors, along with the extremely high levels of displacement we are now seeing, could push Afghanistan into an extreme hunger crisis. The international community must act fast and ensure that those struggling in Afghanistan are supported before thousands die due to severe malnutrition.
[i] https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/afghanistan/document/afghanistan-covid-19-multi-sectoral-response-operational-20
[ii] OCHA – Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan, 2020
