BANGKOK — A new report from UNICEF reveals that over 1 in 10 children under 5 in Thailand are not getting enough food. These children eat only two types of food daily, which can harm their health and development.
The report called ‘Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood’ examines how a lack of proper food affects children in nearly 100 countries. It found that worldwide, 181 million children under 5, or 1 in 4, do not get enough different types of food. This problem is caused by poverty, conflict, climate change, and high food prices.
Mrs. Kyungseon Kim, Director of UNICEF Thailand, said, “Children need a healthy diet to grow and develop properly. Without good nutrition, children can suffer long-term health problems.”
The report shows that most children who do not get enough food live in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific. These children mainly eat milk and starchy foods like rice, corn, or wheat, and very few eat fruits, vegetables, or nutrient-rich foods like eggs, fish, or meat.
A 2022 survey by the National Statistical Office and UNICEF found that only 29 percent of children in Thailand were exclusively breastfed for the first six months. Additionally, 13 percent of children under five were stunted (short for their age) and 7 percent were wasted (underweight for their height) due to long-term malnutrition.
These issues are more common in poor families, families that do not speak Thai, and those where mothers have little or no education. Children in Thailand’s southern border provinces have the highest rates of stunting, at 20 percent.
At the same time, Thai children also face the paradox of malnutrition and obesity. Obesity among children under 5 in Thailand is rising, from 9 percent in 2019 to 11 percent in 2022, mostly due to sugary and fatty foods and drinks.
The report blames the child food poverty crisis on several factors, such as broken food systems that make it hard for families to get healthy food, financial struggles, and a lack of knowledge about good nutrition. Marketing of unhealthy foods to parents is also a problem, as these foods replace more nutritious options.
UNICEF is urging the government, organizations, donors, civil society, and the food industry to take action, including Making healthy and varied foods more available and affordable for families.
Providing nutrition services through the public health system to prevent and treat malnutrition, educating parents, and Creating social support systems like food or cash cards to help low-income families buy nutritious food.
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