Archive · 12 Dec 2025
U.S. Aid Cuts Impact Malnutrition Treatment in Kenya
In Kenya, many children are very sick because they don't have enough food.
A special peanut paste called RUTF helps them get better, but the U.S. has cut funding for this paste.
This means some clinics don't have enough RUTF, and children are getting sicker.
Some children have even died because they couldn't get the treatment they needed.
The U.S. says it is still helping, but the cuts have made it harder for children to get the food they need to stay healthy.
Many people are worried about what will happen if the situation doesn't improve.
U.S. aid cuts have disrupted the supply of RUTF, a crucial treatment for severe malnutrition in children in Kenya.
Clinics in Turkana county have experienced unprecedented shortages of RUTF, leaving many children without life-saving treatment.
The U.S. State Department has announced additional funding, but the impact of the cuts is still being felt.
Health workers and aid officials report that the shortages have led to severe and sometimes irreversible health consequences for children.
The U.S. remains the largest funder of global nutrition programs, but funding cuts have forced the suspension of critical programs in Kenya and other countries.
- Who
- Children in Turkana county, Kenya, suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
- What
- U.S. aid cuts have disrupted the supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), crucial for treating severe malnutrition in children.
- When
- The disruptions began in July 2024, with some clinics experiencing shortages for at least three months.
- Where
- Turkana county, Kenya, and other regions facing food insecurity.
- Why
- President Donald Trump's decision to slash global aid programs and the U.S. Agency for International Development's funding cuts have severely impacted the availability of RUTF.
- Primary Category
- HEALTH
- Secondary Category
- Nutrition
- Tertiary Category
- Malnutrition
- Quaternary Category
- Aid Impact
- Country
- Kenya
- Affected Population
- 179,000 in emergency hunger levels
- RUTF Shortage
- Unprecedented shortages in Turkana county
- U.S. Funding
- $93 million additional support announced in August