Millions of children in Africa are facing acute starvation, warns the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef)Goodwill Ambassador, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, while calling for urgent intervention by governments.

During a two-day visit to Kenya, Chopra visited Turkana, which is among 15 counties affected by drought in Kenya due to climate change and the ongoing impacts of Covid-19. In a statement, Unicef said that almost one in three children in Kenya is suffering from acute malnutrition.

“Nearly 900,000 children under the age of five in the affected counties are in need of treatment for life-threatening malnutrition, also known as severe wasting,” said Chopra.

She added: “Children are starving to death and millions are on the brink of malnutrition. Most of the families I met are living on less than $1 a day, and some have not eaten for three days”.

She disclosed that Unicef’s efforts are helping to curb the hunger crisis, which includes the distribution of nutrient-packed therapeutic foods. According to Unicef, the last four failed rainy seasons in Kenya have left 1.4 million children with reduced access to nutritious food, safe drinking water, health services, education, and protection from violence and neglect.

A predicted fifth-poor rainy season is expected to worsen the situation, leading to more children and families needing humanitarian assistance.

Chopra said Unicef is scaling up nutrition services and distributing milk and ready-touse therapeutic food to health centres, as well as supporting governments to identify and treat children with malnutrition.

“We are working with governments and other partners to minimise child deaths in the most difficult of circumstances,” said Unicef Kenya acting representative Jean Lokenga.

At a pediatric stabilisation centre at the Lodwar Referral Hospital in Lodwar, where affected children are admitted for specialised treatment, Chopra met two-year-old Keeza, who was admitted with severe malnutrition.

Opportunistic diseases Unable to fight off disease owing to a weakened immune system, Keeza contracted malaria, pneumonia and oedema.

“The reality is that many children like Keeza are not getting the treatment they need, and are uniquely vulnerable. Children whose immune systems are already weakened by malnutrition can’t fight off disease, meaning they’re likely to die of illness,” said Chopra.

She also met Sopel villagers who have borne the brunt of famine in central Turkana.