The UK is a genuinely lifesaving champion for malnourished children across the world. But it’s on the verge of abandoning that role. Our new briefing sets out why that matters and how the FCDO can still put it right. #UKAID Thread:

Good nutrition matters. It is vital for a child to grow, thrive and develop. It is also vital to keeping children alive. It can unlock the impact of education and is a key factor in economic growth .

What does #UKaid mean? What has achieved? It’s reached over 50 million people with nutrition programmes since 2015. It’s saved lives and given children a chance to build a better future

This should be a centrepiece of FCDO and Global Britain. Why?

We do it well
We know what works
We lead the policy space
We bring other donors onboard
We help bring it into national government plans

Oh, and did I mention the over 50 million people?? 50. MILLION.

The pandemic is predicted to wreak havoc on the progress seen tackling malnutrition. That could mean:

9.3 million wasted children
2.6 million stunted children
168,000 child deaths

This is the moment for leaders to lead.

Yet the UK appears to be doing the opposite. The current budget for nutrition from FCDO for 2021-22 is 36% of what it was in 2019. This is a disproportionate and monumental drop which will have far-reaching implications.

This severe cut to nutrition undermines other aid:

Undernutrition plays a role in half of all child deaths
Pandemic-related malnutrition could cause 4.4 million lost years of schooling
Businesses and economies lose billions due to malnutrition impacts on productivity

This doesn't have to happen. Launching today, our latest report outlines what FCDO must do to keep this vital development agenda on track.

This is a clear test of Global Britain. Invest where we lead, or walk away when the world needs us most. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/18815/pdf/nutrition_critical_why_the_uk_must_act_now.pdf