More than a billion women and adolescent girls around the world fail to eat or skip meals every day. Among them, mothers who prioritize the health of their children and family are most at risk.
Mothers eat last
Published May 26, 2023 11:17
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On Mother's Day, Polish Humanitarian Action is sounding the alarm that severe malnutrition among mothers is a growing phenomenon, especially in countries mired in humanitarian crises.
Recent years have brought a shocking deterioration in food security worldwide. Today, more than a quarter of a billion people - 258 million - suffer from severe malnutrition or hunger. Many of these people live in countries experiencing climate change, war or political instability. The gender gap has also doubled, showing that women and teenagers are the hardest hit by overlapping crises.
- It is not difficult to determine why it is mothers who do not overeat or forgo meals, says Helena Krajewska, spokeswoman for PAH. - First of all, they want to protect their children, their loved ones, and to do so, they have to sacrifice their health. We see this everywhere we work, from Ukraine to South Sudan and Somalia to Yemen.
In the countries hardest hit by humanitarian crises, acute malnutrition among mothers has increased by as much as 1/4 over the past 3 years, international organizations are warning. The situation of pregnant and lactating women in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia is particularly alarming. But new crises, such as the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and the war in Ukraine, have pushed hundreds of thousands of families to the brink of poverty.
- By the end of this year, we aim to reach more than 600,000 people in eastern and southern Ukraine with food, says Muthana Alhayou, head of PAH operations in the region. - Many of the families we are helping have suddenly run out of the sole breadwinner or means of subsistence. This is a difficult situation for mothers.
Women are also in a very difficult position in South Sudan, where the effects of climate change are compounded by years of armed conflict. Currently, as many as 76% of the country's citizens are in need of humanitarian assistance, among them 2.2 million women and nearly 5 million children. The dramatic situation in neighboring Sudan and the new group of needy people fleeing the conflict could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in South Sudan.
Polish Humanitarian Action around the world supports mothers who are in humanitarian crisis. The foundation provides food and basic hygiene products, funds the operation of health centers and safe spaces for women and children. This wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the solidarity of individuals and companies regularly donating to help PAH.
Source: PAH
