The United Nations children’s agency has said that the

number of pregnant women and nursing mothers suffering

from under nutrition has increased by 25 percent since 2020

in 12 countries at the epicenter of the world food crisis,

stressing the impact it is having on children’s health.

The countries are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia,

Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan,

Chad and Yemen.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

chief executive, Catherine Russell in a statement said without

urgent action from the international community, the

consequences could last for generations to come.

Malnutrition increases the risk of neonatal death, but can also

impair fetal development, with lifelong consequences for

children’s nutrition, growth, learning and future earning

capacity.