Alarming figures have emerged: according to data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) relayed by Save the Children, 502,000 children under the age of five in Madagascar could suffer from acute malnutrition between May 2026 and April 2027. Among them, approximately 78,000 may face severe acute malnutrition, requiring urgent medical intervention.
The nutritional situation remains fragile in the analyzed areas of the Grand Sud (Great South) and Grand Sud-Est (Great South-East). The IPC projections indicate that the number of children under five suffering or likely to suffer from acute malnutrition will reach 502,000 during the specified period.
Save the Children’s warning comes amid an expected deterioration in food security across East and Southern Africa. The El Niño phenomenon is identified as a key factor likely to exacerbate rainfall deficits, agricultural losses, and food access difficulties in several countries in the region, compounded by record-high global temperatures.
In Madagascar, the number of people facing hunger levels corresponding to IPC Phase 3 or higher is expected to increase by 75% between the current period and the period from October 2026 to February 2027. This could reach approximately 3.72 million people, with nearly 426,000 in a state of food emergency.
Regionally, the crisis could also affect Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya. The number of people facing crisis-level acute food insecurity or worse in these countries could rise from 12.6 million to 16.4 million by March 2027. According to Save the Children, the number of children affected could increase from six to eight million, a 30% rise.
In response to these projections, Save the Children is calling for strengthened anticipation measures and increased funding for vulnerable populations. The organization emphasizes that weather alerts must be accompanied by preventive funding to bolster health services, schools, and livelihoods before the situation worsens.
Yvonne Arunga, Save the Children’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, noted that food insecurity also exposes children to higher risks of dropping out of school, abuse, and exploitation. Save the Children has been active in Madagascar since 2016, focusing on nutrition, health, education, child protection, and food security.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-24 06:53:45 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/securite-alimentaire-plus-de-500-000-enfants-de-moins-de-cinq-ans-menaces-par-la-malnutrition-aigue-dici-avril-2027/