Nearly a million young children in the Sahel region of Africa will face severe acute malnutrition in 2023.
The high prevalence of severe wasting is due to factors such as conflict, climate change, and high food prices.
The Sahel region is comprised of three central African countries - Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger - all of which are poor, landlocked, and dealing with jihadist insurgencies.
Niger is expected to have the highest burden of severe wasting, with 430,000 children estimated to be affected in 2023.
Mali is forecast to have 367,000 children facing severe wasting, up more than 18% from last year.
The increase in insecurity and conflict in the region is making it harder to reach communities in isolated areas.
The UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa has stated that vulnerability is increasing in the region.
Child wasting is also on the rise in other parts of the Sahel, including Benin, Cameroon, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo.
Governments are being called upon to prioritize child nutrition and invest in early prevention, detection, and treatment of child malnutrition.
This situation highlights the urgent need for continued humanitarian aid and support to address the root causes of the crisis in the Sahel.