Funding for humanitarian aid is being reduced worldwide, which has serious consequences for people, especially refugees and children in need. They get less food and go hungry.
Financial constraints have forced many aid agencies to significantly reduce food rations for displaced people and people affected by natural disasters. Affected people receive only a fraction of the calories they need each month or are completely excluded from aid deliveries. The result: the number of meals per day decreases.
A recent report by the international child aid organization World Vision shows that this leads to a significant increase in child marriage and child labor.
Only one or no meals per day
While children – for example in Uganda, Afghanistan and Lebanon – ate an average of two meals a day before the cuts, by January 2024 most families had eaten only one meal or no meal at all on the day before the survey. Nearly half of refugees say that both girls and boys are now exposed to more violence, neglect or abuse at home.
Alarm bells are ringing
Mary Njeri, director of hunger relief at World Vision, said: “These results should immediately raise alarm bells. Climate change, conflict and COVID-19 have pushed more than 38 million people to the brink of starvation, and humanitarian aid is not enough. Children tell us that their parents send them to work or marry them off.”
“Hunger kills people not only through malnutrition, but also through mental illness. Long-term support is also essential so that children can go back to school and families can continue to farm, find work and earn a living.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
