At a healthcare centre in Aweil, South Sudan, a nutritionist gently examines Adut. Her mid-upper-arm circumference shows she is severely malnourished and in need of immediate treatment.
She weighs just 6.5kg – the normal weight of a child half Adut’s age.
Without treatment, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) can be deadly for children because the body doesn’t have the capacity to fight even simple diseases. In 2019 alone, an estimated 260,000 children under the age of five are suffering from the condition in South Sudan.
Adut's malnourishment means she struggles to stand up by herself. She holds onto her mother, Angelina, for support. © UNICEF South Sudan/Wilson