What’s inside this Plumpy’Nut® sachet that has saved millions of children?
Plumpy’Nut®, also known as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), is a high-energy peanut paste containing sugar, vegetable oil and skimmed milk powder, and enriched with vitamins and minerals. Each sachet contains an estimated 500 calories and is suitable for children aged six months and over.
Plumpy’Nut® is used to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children. Just three sachets a day for six to eight weeks can be all it takes to save a child’s life. When emergencies strike, this little sachet is a true lifesaver for children.
Genan’s journey to recovery
Meet seven-month-old Genan from Sudan. She is one of more than 13.6 million children in need of urgent humanitarian assistance across the country due to prolonged conflict, climate change and food insecurity. Just 30 minutes after she was born, Genan’s mother passed away, leaving her Aunt Rehab to become her primary caretaker. Nine days later, Genan was on the verge of death.
“When they brought her here, she was very sick,” Rehab said. “She was extremely emaciated and wasn't eating well.”
Genan was admitted to a nutrition program at a UNICEF-supported hospital in Sudan for urgent care and treatment and provided with sachets of Plumpy’Nut®. After two months of treatment, Genan’s health drastically improved, and her weight increased from 3 to 5.4 kilograms.
"If Genan's mother were alive, she would be happy and reassured seeing her daughter doing well."

A story of hope: Genan's recovery from malnutrition
There are many more stories like Genan’s. As the war in Sudan continues, more than 13 million children are suffering from acute food insecurity, which is when a person’s inability to consume enough nutritious food puts their lives in immediate danger. Fourteen areas in Sudan are also on the brink of famine, with famine conditions confirmed in Zamzam camp in North Darfur.
Thanks to the support of generous people like you, UNICEF is maintaining the supply chain of critical nutrition supplies including RUTF that continues to support the treatment of malnourished children. Between January and October 2024, UNICEF treated more than 288,000 children in Sudan for the most severe form of malnutrition.
Without this critical support, more young lives would have been devastated by malnutrition. Plumpy’Nut® has meant the difference between life and death for millions of children like Genan.
Changing the world one Plumpy’Nut® at a time
Plumpy’Nut® has transformed the worldwide treatment of severe acute malnutrition – a major cause of death in children under five globally.
It is easy to use, store and doesn't need to be mixed with water, which is often scarce when drought hits. It is also inexpensive: just $65 can provide a child with six weeks' worth of this therapeutic food.
But perhaps the best part about Plumpy’Nut® is that it enables parents to treat their children at home, rather than only in medical settings. With UNICEF’s support, community health workers are also being trained to identify symptoms of severe acute malnutrition in children. This means that more children and families can access crucial treatment, no matter where they live.
UNICEF is the world’s largest provider of therapeutic food, procuring an estimated 75-80 per cent of the world’s emergency supplies. We work with partners to urgently manage the treatment of millions of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition every year.
Therapeutic food is an incredible medical advancement that has changed so many children’s lives. However, there's still so much to be done, and many more children to reach. Please help us continue our crucial work for children by purchasing a UNICEF Inspired Gift today.
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