The Good News, June Edition

The global picture

According to our recent report, Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood ,181 million children worldwide under 5 years of age – or 1 in 4 – are experiencing severe child food poverty. 65 per cent of them reside in just 20 countries. Around 64 million affected children are in South Asia, and 59 million are in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

It's no coincidence that regions of the world with the highest rates of poverty and food insecurity are largely the same regions whose people are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. And there are many contributing factors to this, which all intersect and influence each other in complicated ways. The main ones being; socio-political conflict, the global economy, poverty and of course climate change. And it’s children who suffer the most in this entanglement.  

Solving these problems of malnutrition caused by climate change, is integral to our social development goals. It’s not simply about providing food for every child. It’s about resourcing communities to be able to sustain and nourish themselves when the odds are stacked against them.  

The knock-on effect of a water tower in Madagascar

In 2022 UNICEF together with partners built an intricate water system in the village of Nisoa in South Western Madagascar. Consecutive years of severe drought have wiped out crops and hampered access to food in the southern regions of Madagascar. About 1.2 million people in the Grand Sud and Grand-Sud-Est regions of the island are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity.  

Although multiple interventions with rather positive results have been carried out since the beginning of the humanitarian crisis, the food and nutritional insecurity continues to be fueled by the devastating effects of the cyclones, recurring droughts and poor harvests, and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine. 

The water tower in Nisoa Village, serving a community of 1800 people, is a system that includes a borehole, solar powered water pump, a reservoir and 5 water points in the village. Before  that, villagers had to walk ten kilometres to collect unhealthy brackish water. Now people from across the region come to the village not just for water but to harvest the fruits of this innovative and impactful solution. UNICEF is committed to continue efforts to guarantee the development of this part of the island. 

Hydroponic vege gardens in Ethiopia 

UNICEF supported a pilot program to help address rising child malnutrition in Ethiopia. As the country contends with drought, food insecurity and other crises, this innovative approach lets families grow their own vegetables without soil and very little water. 

Hydroponic farming is the practice of growing crops without soil, which saves space. And while conventional methods need rainfall and irrigation, with hydroponic farming, very little water is required — which means plantings can thrive regardless of weather or season.  

The solution is being implemented in Mekelle and in central and southern Tigray, a part of the world that has seen horrendous violence and social conflict, compounded by severe climate changes. Here, crop yields have been depleted by cumulative failed rainy seasons and more recently because of the drought driven El Niño, an increasingly damaging weather pattern associated with climate change. 

Members of 50 households have received training in hydroponic farming techniques to get them started cultivating vegetables without soil.  

Jordan’s youth-led climate resiliency projects

In 2022, UNICEF Jordan supported a youth-led climate action initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Youth, and Generations For Peace. It’s called SAWN, which translated from Arabic means to protect/preserve. Recognising young people as vital climate stakeholders, SAWN focuses on inclusivity and encourages collaboration among youth from diverse backgrounds. Sawn I, launched in 2022, followed by Sawn II starting in April 2023 which is still ongoing.  

SAWN 1 provided 36 teens and youth from all governorates in Jordan with training and skills to lead climate action, locally and globally, and to become advocates for building a more sustainable future. Each youth climate leader trains additional young people from their governorates to implement local projects that will urgently build their communities’ resilience to climate change. This is important in Jordan where the expected rising temperatures and reduced rainfall will exacerbate existing water scarcity issues, affecting crop yields and putting children at risk.  

Ahmad, 29, from Ajloun is a human resource graduate who was part of SAWN 1 and conducted training in climate action for his local community. His family farm is peppered with ancient olive trees and water wells, all of which are starting to feel the effects of climate change. He has started two hydroponic projects on the farm and uses organic farming methods to cultivate the harvests. His influence has been felt by many in his community who were inspired to learn from him. Since then, six projects started in the area. All of them led by young people who also host awareness and training sessions for farmers and entire families to transform marginalized areas into green hotspots. 

Like Ahmed we believe that young people need to be brought into the decision-making and solution-finding process of climate change. And UNICEF-supported initiatives like SAWN play an important role in not just getting youth involved but empowering them to take the lead. 

It's not about charity- it's about justice and equity

Our long-term work in climate resiliency and malnutrition are about levelling the playing fields. With the ongoing support of donors, we do this through innovation and adaptability so that vulnerable communities can fortify against erratic social and environmental crises. As former Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Jacques Diouf famously said, “Hunger is not an issue of charity. It is an issue of justice.” A belief and value that we work towards every day, for every child, around the world.