Nairobi: An alarming warning has been issued by humanitarian agencies that Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan are on the brink of running out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) a critical nutrient-rich product used to treat severely malnourished children. Stocks are expected to be exhausted within three months unless urgent action is taken, raising fears of a deepening child hunger crisis across the region.
RUTF, often supplied in peanut-based pastes such as Plumpy’Nut, and high-energy biscuits, is considered a medical intervention rather than ordinary food. It is specifically designed to rescue children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, providing the essential nutrients needed to stabilize their condition and restore growth. Without it, survival rates drop sharply, leaving already vulnerable children at even greater risk.
The situation is particularly dire in Kenya, where nearly 2.8 million people faced acute food insecurity earlier this year during the March–May rainy season. Aid officials warn that by October, Kenya’s supply of therapeutic food will likely run out, forcing health centers to rely on less effective substitutes. Similar shortages loom in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan, where conflict, climate shocks, and economic hardship have already pushed millions to the edge of famine.
According to Save the Children, the funding crisis behind these shortages extends far beyond four nations. Reduced aid flows threaten the treatment of 15.6 million people across 18 countries, including 2.3 million children currently undergoing care for severe malnutrition. The organization cautions that global cutbacks in humanitarian support are weakening the very programs designed to protect the most vulnerable.
Part of the crisis stems from shifting priorities in U.S. foreign aid. Under a previous administration, food shipments destined for aid programs were delayed, with some supplies eventually expiring in warehouses. More recently, Washington announced a $93 million package of RUTF support, which is expected to reach over 800,000 children in 13 countries. While this commitment provides some relief, aid workers say it falls far short of meeting the urgent need.
So far, the governments of the four most affected African nations have not publicly responded to the warnings. Humanitarian agencies stress that international partnerships will be essential to bridging the funding and supply gaps before stocks completely collapse.
The humanitarian stakes are high. For children with acute malnutrition, RUTF is irreplaceable: it is compact, easy to distribute, and proven to save lives within weeks of treatment. Substitutes such as grain porridge or regular food aid lack the concentrated vitamins, minerals, and calories required to bring children back from the brink.
Global hunger levels are already at a breaking point, with parallel crises unfolding in Sudan, Gaza, and other regions hit by conflict and climate shocks. Aid experts argue that the RUTF shortage in Africa highlights how overstretched and underfunded the world’s hunger-response systems have become.
With just weeks before supplies dry up, humanitarian groups are calling for urgent donor pledges, faster distribution pipelines, and renewed public attention. “This is not just about logisticsit is about survival,” one aid official said. “Every shipment delayed means lives lost.”