The Trump administration’s freeze on U.S. foreign aid is threatening child malnutrition treatment in some of the world’s worst hunger crises.
But experts in the field tell Devex this moment could reveal a silver lining by forcing a rethink of the entire humanitarian system and pushing it toward localization and more stable funding streams.
Young children are among the most vulnerable to food insecurity, and malnutrition affects them the hardest. That’s why many aid organizations focus on preventing and treating malnutrition within the first critical 1,000-day window from conception to a child’s second birthday.