UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — At least 14 million children face hunger and a heightened risk of malnutrition or death this year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned Wednesday, as major international donors like the United States (US) slash aid budgets.

UNICEF urged governments and philanthropic institutions to contribute to its Child Nutrition Fund to head off a wave of starvation.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said great progress had been made in eradicating child hunger since the start of the century, but these gains could quickly be lost.

“Good nutrition is the foundation of child survival and development, with impressive returns on investment,” she said, in a UNICEF statement.

“Dividends will be measured in stronger families, societies and countries, and a more stable world,” Russell said.

Since US President Donald Trump returned to office two months ago, his billionaire advisor Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has gutted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) agency.

A judge has ordered a halt to the effort, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that USAID is cancelling 83 per cent of the programmes from its budget of US$42 billion.

Other major donor countries, such as Britain, have recently cut or frozen international aid as they seek to control deficits while boosting defence spending.

But Russell warned that 2.4 million children suffering from acute malnutrition will miss out on UNICEF’s “ready-to-use therapeutic food” for the rest of the year.

Up to 2,300 centres providing critical care for kids facing starvation could close, and 28,000 UNICEF-supported feeding centres are also at risk.

All in all, Russell warned, 14 million children “are expected to face disruptions to nutrition support and services” this year.

“The funding crisis comes at a time of unprecedented need for children who continue to face record levels of displacement, new and protracted conflicts, disease outbreaks, and the deadly consequences of climate change,” Russell said.