High levels of food insecurity in Africa are leaving millions of children at risk of malnutrition and starvation.
Conflict, extreme weather, economic pressures and poverty are driving food insecurity for families.
Through prevention and intervention, Compassion, in partnership with local churches, is helping children overcome malnutrition, heal and grow.
Malnutrition in Africa: Quick Facts
Families throughout Africa are facing the devastating impacts of world hunger. High levels of food insecurity, or a lack of nutritious food, are leaving many children at risk of dangerous malnutrition.
Here are some quick facts to know:
According to UNICEF, hunger is rising in Africa, affecting more than one in five people.
If current trends continue, 512 million people could face hunger in 2030, with nearly 60% of them living in Africa.
UNICEF also reports that one in three children in Africa — 64 million little ones — live in severe food poverty, making them 50% more likely to suffer from life-threatening malnutrition.
Malnutrition in Africa, specifically undernutrition, leads to stunting (kids being too short for their age), wasting (weighing too little for their height) and even childhood starvation.
Worldwide, 150 million children under five are suffering stunted growth. About two-thirds of them live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the World Bank.
Learn more about hunger in Africa, including facts, causes and how you can help.
The Connection Between Malnutrition & Starvation in Africa
To understand just how serious malnutrition can be, it’s important to know what happens to a child when left untreated. Malnutrition, specifically undernutrition, happens when a child doesn’t get enough nutrients for their body to function as it should.
Over time, their body becomes desperate for fuel and begins to break down its own vital tissues and organs for survival. This is called starvation. Childhood starvation can lead to chronic illness, serious developmental delays, permanent organ damage and death.
Nearly half of the deaths among children under age 5 are linked to undernutrition. — World Health Organization
Causes of Malnutrition & Starvation in Africa
There are a few key causes of malnutrition and starvation in Africa, specifically in the countries Compassion serves. Those causes include:
Conflict and violence: Ongoing conflicts like wars disrupt livelihoods and supply chains, keeping food from reaching families in need. These conflicts also force many families to flee their homes, leaving them internally displaced and without necessities like shelter, safe water and food. According to the World Food Programme, 70% of people facing acute food insecurity live in fragile or conflict-affected areas.
Extreme weather: While some parts of Africa are suffering from intense droughts, others are experiencing devastating floods. These disasters dry up crops or destroy farmland completely, making it impossible to grow food.
Economic disruptions: Rising food prices and trade disruptions have placed more pressure on families just trying to get by. For example, the cost of fertilizers used to grow healthy crops has surged, resulting in food staples being unaffordable for many.
Poverty: Families living in extreme poverty survive on just a few dollars a day, far from enough for their basic needs. One meal a day is normal for these families, while some may be forced to eat less. Africa is home to the most families living in extreme poverty — 67% of people living in extreme poverty live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Explore more about the leading causes of hunger around the world.
Compassion’s Response to Malnutrition in Africa
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” — Matthew 25:35, NIV
Every child is a gift from God, entrusted to all of us to care for and love. And in Africa, millions of these gifts are suffering from malnutrition simply because they lack the essential nutrition they need to thrive.
At Compassion, we’re working to fight malnutrition and starvation in Africa in two ways: preventing it in the first place and intervening to help affected children heal. And it’s all done by empowering the local churches in their communities.
Prevention
At their church-based Compassion centers, children get yearly checkups and are monitored for malnutrition. They receive nutritious snacks and meals and can get safe water, further protecting their bodies.
Compassion also helps families build resilience against food insecurity. For example, we teach caregivers how to generate a steady income, raise animals or farm sustainably through partnerships with organizations like ECHO.
And through our Survival program, we provide care to moms and babies before, during and after birth, until the first birthday, ensuring they have a healthy foundation to grow on.
Intervention
If a child is malnourished, we provide care like therapeutic feeding and supplements to help them heal. For families facing food insecurity, we deliver food packs containing staples like rice, meat, milk, eggs and other essentials, as well as medical care for those in need.
Compassion also cares for the mental and emotional health of children facing crisis through trauma counseling, child protection and safe spaces to learn and play at local churches.
Learn more about how we help prevent malnutrition through church-led care.
Overcoming Malnutrition in Africa: 3 Stories of Hope
Through prevention and intervention, we help children overcome the threat of malnutrition to thrive as God intended. Steeve, Meseret and Sekata are living proof of Compassion’s work.
Steeve Beats Malnutrition in Burkina Faso Through Nutritious Meals
Steeve, a 1-year-old boy from Burkina Faso, lives in a community where nutritious food can be hard to come by. But through the food baskets and nutrition training his mother, Nathalie, receives, he’s healthy and strong.
In Steeve’s community, many loving mothers struggle to provide nutritious food for themselves and their children. Sadly, babies often face malnutrition, low birth weight, slow growth and illnesses like diarrhea. But the local church is stepping in to empower moms to care for their little ones.
“If a mother doesn’t eat well, her breast milk will lack the nutrients her baby needs. That’s why we provide regular food baskets to mothers — to improve their diets and ensure healthy growth for their babies.” — Lea, Compassion Nurturer implementer
Nathalie and Steeve receive regular food baskets full of delicious ingredients like rice, pasta and cooking oil. Steeve is especially fond of the candy treats he finds inside.
“The food baskets are such a blessing. They give me options to cook rice, porridge or spaghetti. Lea doesn’t just teach us how to vary our diet; she gives us the ingredients to do it. Steeve’s favorite meals are spaghetti and ‘sagabo,’ a local stew made from corn flour.” — Nathalie
Beyond food baskets, mothers receive hygiene education and nutrition lessons to help them care for their babies.
Despite living in a region where infant mortality is high because of malnutrition, disease and poverty, little Steeve is thriving with a height and weight in a healthy range. He’s full of energy and beginning to stand with help! And just recently, Steeve reached a critical milestone, celebrating his very first birthday (with cake, of course).
“Being part of the Survival program is a blessing. I’m so thankful to everyone who makes this possible through Compassion. May God bless you!” — Nathalie
Meseret Rises Above the Food Crisis in Ethiopia Through Income Generation
Meseret, a single mother of four, lives in a rural community about 50 miles from the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. Here, most homes are headed by single mothers who must care for their children while trying to make a living. But job opportunities are slim, leaving many families trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Because the town is the capital’s milk, cheese and butter supplier, these nutritious products are the most common options available. But because of their circumstances, families like Meseret’s just can’t afford them. Even eating one meal each day is a struggle, leaving her and her family at risk of malnutrition. But she isn’t without hope.
Meseret’s son, Abushe, was registered at the local Compassion center, giving him access to nutritious meals, medical care and education to help him thrive. However, the center recognized that the support they were offering children wasn’t enough to help large families like Meseret’s.
They sprang into action, designing a family empowerment program that would teach moms in the community how to generate steady incomes and save. The Compassion center gave seed money to mothers in the community so they could start small businesses.
Meseret immediately took her seed fund and purchased the materials needed to sell kolo, an Ethiopian snack made from roasted grain. With her income, Meseret has increased the number of meals her family is able to enjoy, lifting a weight off her shoulders.
“My husband was an alcoholic and seldom home, so I had to decide to lead a life without him. So life was hard on me until God brought the center into my life.” — Meseret
Despite the poverty that surrounds her, Meseret now has the tools, knowledge and support she needs to better care for her family.
Sekata Helps Fight Hunger in Rwanda Through Education
Fighting malnutrition in Africa isn’t something we can do on our own. That’s why we work to empower and equip children and youths to be changemakers in their own communities. And that’s exactly who 19-year-old Sekata is — a force fighting hunger in Rwanda.
Sekata faced hardship early in life in Rwanda. As a child, she lost her mother and was raised by her grandparents. Although they did their best to provide, essentials like food were hard to come by.
Sekata found hope at the local Compassion center. There, she received more than nutritious meals — she was encouraged to reach her full potential. A determined girl with dreams of a brighter future, she diligently pursued an education with the help of the local church.
“Education is the key to unlocking the doors of possibility. With knowledge comes the power to create change, to nourish not only our bodies but also our spirits.” — Sekata
While attending the Rwanda Coding Academy, Sekata embarked on a mission to combat malnutrition in her community. Using her skills, she developed the idea for a mobile app called BALDI.
Short for “Balanced Diet,” the app is user-friendly and easily accessible. It educates families about nutritious food that is both affordable and sustainable. Families can even chat with a doctor inside the app to ask questions.
For Sekata, BALDI isn’t just about food; it’s about empowering families in need to take control of their health and well-being. While the app is still in development, through her work, Sekata is touching the lives of countless families, bridging the gap between abundance and scarcity with compassion and innovation.
Sekata is also inspiring others to use their God-given gifts for the good of those around them. Her story is motivating those at her Compassion center to do what they can to release even more children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
“Seeing Sekata not only succeed but also uplift those around her reminds me that education isn’t just about individual achievement; it’s about lighting the path for others to follow, creating a brighter, more empowered future for all.” — Pacifique, Sekata’s Compassion center director
Malnutrition and childhood starvation are serious risks throughout Africa. But through prevention, intervention and the dedication of our local church partners, little ones who once faced devastating hunger can grow up strong, hopeful and empowered to help others.
