The socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic has reduced the living standards of children in some areas.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that due to the socio-economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children under five who are emaciated may increase by 6.7 million in 22, and they will fall into a dangerous malnutrition state.

Medical emaciation refers to the weight loss of human body due to diseases or some factors, which is called emaciation when it is more than 1% lower than the standard weight. Being emaciated will make children too weak, stunted growth and face a higher risk of death.

according to the data of UNICEF, before the outbreak of COVID-19, 47 million children were wasting in 219. If action is not taken as soon as possible, this figure may reach more than 53.7 million this year.

Research shows that about half of these children are in South Asia, and about 3% are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Executive Director of UNICEF said that the epidemic situation has aggravated family poverty and food shortage in some areas, disrupted basic nutrition services and supply chains, and soared food prices. The quality of children's diet decreased and the malnutrition rate increased. UNICEF previously reported that after the outbreak, the global basic nutrition services decreased by 3% as a whole, and these services were crucial to saving lives. Due to the blockade measures, the interruption of basic nutrition services in some countries and regions reached 75% to 1%. For example, the hospitalization rate of children with severe acute malnutrition in Afghanistan decreased by 4%, Haiti by 73% and Kenya by 4%. Due to the epidemic, more than 25 million children around the world have lost the service of vitamin A supplementation.

UNICEF warned that the epidemic is weakening the global nutritional status, especially in low-and middle-income countries, where young children are the most seriously affected. The situation of children is very worrying. In addition to emaciation, women and children in some areas also face other forms of nutritional problems, including stunting, micronutrient deficiency, overweight and obesity.

This epidemic has greatly affected the living conditions of children and people in some low-and middle-income areas. Finally, I hope that the epidemic will pass as soon as possible. With the rapid economic recovery, these children can return to their normal lives.