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Sifa* has been residing in a tent at the Mugunga camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since February. She is constantly concerned about how she will provide food for her children.
Due to the conflict between the government and M23 rebels, Sifa faced the tough choice of leaving her home with her husband and nine-year-old daughter. As a result, her three other children had to be cared for by their grandmother. This was done in order to find a secure and promising future for their family. As they fled, Sifa and her loved ones suffered from extreme weight loss and were forced into malnourishment. While living in the refugee camp, Sifa also gave birth to a son.
“I have been facing difficulties in nourishing my newborn since giving birth three months ago,” shared the 33-year-old mother with The Independent. “Despite my attempts to breastfeed, my milk supply is inadequate and lacking the essential nutrients to fully satisfy my baby.”
Although she knows that eating more would help her produce more breast milk, her main concern is not her own nutrition but providing for her daughter with their limited food supply.
Sifa shared that her daughter is currently experiencing the struggle of having to ask for food daily and going to bed without having enough to eat. Sifa makes a point to provide her with whatever small amount they have available.
Siba and her family are still searching frantically for sustenance to survive, while leaders from governments, international organizations, scientists, and private companies met in London on Monday to address the pressing issue of global food insecurity.
The plan is to find innovative methods to address the avoidable loss of young lives due to lack of access to food.
According to Save the Children, a child is born into hunger every two seconds in 2023. This amounts to over 17.6 million children, which is a 20% increase compared to a decade ago.
The research indicates that kids all over the globe, specifically in regions such as East Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan, are experiencing one of the most severe food shortages in history.
“According to Callum Northcote, Head of Hunger and Nutrition at Save the Children UK, the combination of climate-related drought, economic instability, and conflicts has severely diminished people’s ability to handle difficult situations and has made it impossible for millions to access nutritious food. The most concerning aspect is that many countries are facing all of these challenges simultaneously.”
According to Northcote, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has also played a role in exacerbating the hunger crisis.
He stated that it has caused a severe effect on the cost of food around the world. For numerous people, essential items have become too expensive to afford.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recently seen the highest number of children being born into hunger since record-keeping began.
Zolaikha, who is 23 years old, is accompanied by Marium, who is 10 months old.
Despite their discomfort, Sifa and her husband have no choice but to send their daughter to beg, a potentially dangerous task for a young girl.
She stated that she makes an effort to watch over her to ensure she is not harmed by anyone.
Sifa’s spouse is actively seeking employment to provide for their family’s increased food needs but has been consistently turned down.
She reported that during one instance of inquiring, he was assaulted and injured to such a degree that he required hospitalization. “We rely on humanitarian aid, otherwise we would not have been able to survive for this long.”
Sifa lives in constant fear of losing another child, as she has already lost one to Malaria and Cholera and another to armed groups that attacked her village.
She expressed concern about her children being separated from her due to various factors such as war, lack of food, and disease. She feared for their well-being and worried about the possibility of waking up to find one of her children gone.
Sifa’s fears are not unfounded. Approximately one-fifth more newborns will face hunger this year compared to 2013, when 14.4 million children were born into the grips of hunger, according to Save the Children.
Northcote stated that hunger will ruin the aspirations, quiet the joy of play, interrupt education, and endanger the lives of children. The potential of these young individuals is already at risk before they are even born, and it is crucial that we safeguard their childhoods and futures before it is too late.
In Afghanistan, 23-year-old Zolaikha gave birth to Marium* ten months ago. Marium* is one of approximately 440,000 children expected to be born into poverty in Afghanistan this year.
On most days, the family of four belonging to Zolaikha consumes mainly bread and rice. They seldom incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diet, and it has been four months since they last had any meat.
At the young age of six months, Marium began experiencing chronic diarrhea and was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia as a result of a compromised immune system.
Zolaikha informed The Independent that her daughter’s physical condition had significantly deteriorated two months prior. She was experiencing intense weakness, constant crying, and frequent pain and discomfort, accompanied by a high fever. Zolaikha recalls feeling emotional and helpless as she watched her daughter suffer.
Her second child was also extremely undernourished and frequently suffered from diarrhea which developed into pneumonia.
Zolaikha attributed the cause to consuming contaminated water and lacking sufficient healthy food.
As leaders meet in London today, Northcote hopes for the sort of progress seen in the past.
Although strides have been taken in addressing child hunger over the last 20 years, its decline has accelerated in 2019 due to factors such as economic instability, conflicts, and the worsening effects of the climate crisis.
Northcote stated that it is important for the UK Government to take action and provide more funding, while also collaborating with the global community to find effective solutions to ensure that children and their families have access to healthy and nourishing food. This is crucial in preventing hunger and malnutrition.
Northcote stated that hunger is not a hopeless situation. He believes that we have the ability to greatly decrease the number of undernourished children at this moment, as we have done in the past. However, if we fail to address the underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition, we will see a regression in the progress made for children. This is a worldwide issue and requires a global approach. While the summit is a positive start, it must also be accompanied by increased funding.
*
The names have been altered.
Source: independent.co.uk
