Right now, nearly 45 million children suffer from severe hunger and nearly half of all preventable deaths among children under five are attributed to malnutrition. Lifesaving U.S.-funded programs prevent and treat deadly malnutrition and support the production of key ready-to-use therapeutics, like Plumpy’Nut, that help malnourished children recover, especially in crises like Yemen, Palestine, Sudan, Afghanistan, and across the Sahel. These interventions save lives.
But in its FY26 budget request, the White House proposed eliminating key global food and nutrition budget lines. This includes programs like Food for Peace and international nutrition funding that source food from American farmers to reach the most vulnerable children worldwide.
Cutting these programs would be catastrophic. Many contracts with frontline organizations — like the World Food Program — have already been suspended or delayed in recent months, putting lives in dangerous limbo. Delayed payments to major aid organizations also accrue steep interest rates that fall to us, American tax payers. Without stable, sustained U.S. support, malnutrition will rise, and preventable child deaths will follow.
Congress must act to protect this funding. Urge your representatives to oppose these cuts and fully fund international food and nutrition programs in FY26.