Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 5 May 2026

This Media Update includes:

• UNICEF - PRESS RELEASE : FAST FACTS: 30 years of life-saving therapeutic food for children, yet millions more still need it - UNICEF
• ILO - PRESS RELEASE :Balochistan advances labour rights with launch of dedicated unit on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

UNICEF

PRESS RELEASE

FAST FACTS: 30 years of life-saving therapeutic food for children, yet millions more still need it - UNICEF

NEW YORK, 5 May 2026 - For three decades, a small sachet of fortified peanut paste has been one of the most powerful tools to combat severe wasting - the deadliest form of malnutrition - in children under five. Today, more than 12 million children globally are suffering from severe wasting. As conflict, climate shocks, and funding pressures escalate, ensuring a predictable and uninterrupted supply of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is more critical than ever.

First developed in 1996, RUTF transformed the treatment of severe wasting by enabling children without medical complications to be treated at home, reducing reliance on hospitalisation, cost to families, and lowering the risk of secondary infections.

Today, RUTF - as part of a community-based approach to treat wasting in children - has transformed the way life-saving care and treatment is delivered. It has contributed to historic lows in preventable child deaths worldwide. While the 30-year milestone marks major progress in public health, it is also a call to action: the full range of nutrition treatment, including with therapeutic milk, must be scaled up so that it can withstand supply shocks, reduce costs, and help ensure every child who needs it has uninterrupted access to therapeutic food.

"This small, but powerful, sachet of therapeutic food fundamentally changed the way that we treat children with severe malnutrition," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "I have seen how children suffering from wasting come alive when they're treated with RUTF. It has empowered families by putting life-saving treatment into their hands. No child should die from malnutrition in a world of plenty."

Key facts marking 30 years of Ready-to-use-Therapeutic Food:

• Children with severe wasting are too thin for their height, their immune systems weaken to the extent that ordinary childhood illnesses can become fatal, and their risk of dying increases by 12 times compared with well-nourished children.
• Currently, 42.8 million children are affected by wasting, of which 12.2 million have severe wasting, the deadliest form.
• RUTF is highly successful, with a recovery rate of nearly 90 per cent for those suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
• In 2025, UNICEF screened 255 million children globally for wasting and treated more than 9 million affected children.
• Made from peanuts, skim milk powder, oil, sugar, and essential vitamins and minerals, this therapeutic food is given to children aged 6-59 months with severe wasting.
• A 92g sachet of RUTF provides 500 calories, helping severely malnourished children gain weight and build immunity during treatment. Its creamy texture and slightly sweet, savoury taste make it palatable to children.
• RUTF comes as a thick, oil-based peanut paste for a reason - it contains zero water, which means bacteria has nothing to grow in. This formulation helps keep the therapeutic food safe in any environment, including humid conditions, and it does not require refrigeration. It has a shelf life of 24 months.
• Today, RUTF remains the only WHO-recommended outpatient treatment for child wasting.
• UNICEF is the world's largest procurer of RUTF. Between 2003 - 2025, UNICEF procured and delivered a total of 8.7 billion sachets of RUTF globally, fuelling recovery for millions of children.
• In 2023, UNICEF delivered nearly 1.1 billion sachets of RUTF in response to the global nutrition crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic - making it a record annual quantity.
• Ethiopia has received the highest volume of UNICEF-procured RUTF. Based on data from 2003 to 2025, 1.6 billion sachets of RUTF worth US $296 million were delivered to Ethiopia, where at least 500,000 children are treated annually for severe wasting.
• A carton of RUTF, containing 150 sachets, is sufficient to treat a child for 6-8 weeks, until recovery, alongside follow-up medical care and counselling.
• RUTF is an example of successful public private collaboration. UNICEF procures RUTF from 21 suppliers globally, 18 of which are in countries with high levels of child wasting. Local manufacturing, with the capacity to supply other countries, is essential for a rapid response to malnutrition crises, especially in the face of global supply chain disruptions.

# # # # #

Notes for editors:

Download multimedia content from here: https://tinyurl.com/4trjmp5e

Read the 2007 joint statement by WHO, WFP, SCN and UNICEF on Community-Based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition.

Read the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030: Nutrition, for Every Child.
About UNICEF
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.

For more information about UNICEF and its work, please visit: www.unicef.org

Follow UNICEF on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

For more information, please contact:
Nadia Samie-Jacobs | UNICEF New York | +1 845 760 2615| [email protected]

ILO

PRESS RELEASE

Balochistan advances labour rights with launch of dedicated unit on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

New unit will support coordination, compliance and enforcement of fundamental labour rights, with a focus on vulnerable sectors and improved labour governance across the province.

QUETTA, Pakistan (ILO News): The Government of Balochistan, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has established a Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) Unit, within the Department of Labour, to strengthen coordination, compliance and enforcement of labour rights across the province. This marks the first dedicated unit of its kind in Pakistan, with a focus on improving oversight and protecting workers in vulnerable sectors. The new unit was inaugurated by Geir T. Tonstol, Director of the ILO Country Office for Pakistan, in the presence of senior officials from the Government of Balochistan.

Many workers in Balochistan continue to face challenges linked to informality, limited access to social protection and unsafe working conditions, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and segments of the cotton supply chain. Strengthening respect for fundamental labour rights is essential to improving working conditions, supporting fair labour markets and advancing inclusive economic growth.

The FPRW unit will support awareness-raising, institutional coordination and application of core labour standards. It will also serve as a platform to enhance engagement among government institutions, employers' and workers' organizations, reinforcing social dialogue and supporting compliance.

Geir T. Tonstol emphasized "Fundamental principles and rights at work are central to fair labour markets and sustainable development. Strengthening respect for these principles helps improve working conditions, supports institutions and contributes to more inclusive growth. The establishment of this unit is a timely step to enhance coordination, build capacity and expand awareness, particularly in sectors where workers are most vulnerable."

The unit will also support the application of core labour standards, including freedom of association and collective bargaining, elimination of forced and child labour, non-discrimination, and promotion of safe and healthy working environments. The establishment of the unit comes at a critical time, as efforts continue to address informality and gaps in working conditions in key sectors, including parts of the cotton supply chain.

Bashir Ahmed Shahwani, Director General, Department of Labour stated, "The establishment of the FPRW unit marks an important step in strengthening labour governance in Balochistan. Through this initiative, the Labour and Manpower Department is committed to promoting fundamental rights at work, strengthening coordination and enhancing protection for workers across the province."

The inauguration of the new unit was followed by discussions with senior officials from the Government of Balochistan and representatives of employers' and workers' organizations to review progress under the Decent Work Country Programme (2024-2027) and identify priority areas for continued collaboration.

Discussions focused on strengthening labour law implementation, advancing social dialogue mechanisms, and reinforcing efforts to promote freedom of association and collective bargaining. Participants also emphasized the importance of building institutional capacity and improving monitoring and enforcement systems.

Background:

The ILO and INDITEX, one of the world's largest fashion retailers, entered into a partnership in 2017 to promote an integrated approach to Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) in the cotton supply chain in China, India, Mali and Pakistan, and global component in Geneva.

For further information please contact:

Muhammad Numan

Communication Officer

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +92 303 5000041