World Food Day: UNICEF warns of climate threat to child nutrition

World Food Day: UNICEF warns of climate threat to child nutrition

According to a recent UNICEF report, climate change is projected to result in an additional 28 million children affected by malnutrition and 40 million children experiencing stunted growth worldwide by 2050.

As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, global temperatures will increase, bringing profound changes to the climate and affecting all the factors that determine children’s nutritional well-being.

The effects could also extend to micronutrient and protein deficiencies, with the number of children affected potentially increasing by hundreds of millions by 2050. These impacts, the report explains, would be felt across all age groups, including school-aged children and adolescents.

Climate change is also expected to drive an increase in childhood obesity far beyond the rise attributable to non-climatic factors. Extreme heat, in fact, can limit physical activity, while changing dietary habits, especially in developing nations, may lead to greater reliance on ultra-processed foods.

El Niño could worsen hunger in conflict-affected countries

UNICEF has also warned that the El Niño phenomenon expected in 2026-2027 could become one of the most intense ever recorded. This recurring climate pattern warms parts of the Pacific Ocean and disrupts weather systems around the world.

For children living in countries affected by conflict and humanitarian crises, such as Afghanistan and Chad, El Niño could pose a direct threat to survival by worsening hunger and malnutrition.

In these already fragile settings, conflict, displacement and limited access to essential services leave children particularly vulnerable to further climate-related shocks.