Drive against malnutrition

Abu Dhabi: Médecins Sans Frontières or Doctors without Borders, the international medical humanitarian organisation, is launching an online campaign named "Starved for Attention" to help malnourished children.

Malnutrition, although preventable and treatable claims the lives of millions of children each year around the world. "Over 195 million children worldwide suffer from malnutrition, a problem that contributes to at least one third of the eight million annual deaths of children under five years of age," a Medecins Sans Frontieres spokesman said.

MSF's International Council president Dr Christophe Fournier said: "Our medical teams are working in more than 30 countries with high levels of malnutrition, in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia".

Early intervention

"They have demonstrated that with early intervention, by providing quality and balanced food, countless children can be spared the consequences of malnutrition," Fournier said.

Medecins Sans Frontieres has said that at present international humanitarian food aid programmes provided nutritionally inadequate foods to undernourished children under the age of two years — the population most vulnerable to condition.

By asking people to sign its online petition, the organisation is trying to increase public awareness and encourage international food aid donors to fulfil every child's right to sufficient nutrition.

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World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in remembrance of the founding of the United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. "United against hunger" is the World Food Day theme this year.