ISTANBUL

At least four African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan, are under the risk of running out of ready-to-use emergency food for children facing acute malnutrition in the next three months due to aid cuts, Save the Children warned on Thursday.

These countries face severe Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) shortages due to funding cuts and facility closures, the UK-based non-governmental organization (NGO) said in a statement.

RUTF is a vitamin- and mineral-fortified peanut paste mixed with dry milk products. Recognized by aid organizations, it is considered a critical tool in treating children suffering from severe malnutrition.

A global decline in nutrition funding is expected to leave 15.6 million people across 18 countries, including more than 2.3 million severely malnourished children, without treatment in 2025, with the situation likely to worsen in 2026, the NGO warned.