UNICEF warns of malnutrition among children in Venezuela

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN children's fund UNICEF warned on Friday that a growing number of children in Venezuela are suffering from malnutrition as a consequence of the protracted economic crisis affecting the country.

While precise figures are unavailable because of very limited official health or nutrition data, there are clear signs that the crisis is limiting children's access to quality health services, medicines and food, said UNICEF.

The Venezuelan government has implemented measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis on children's nutrition, including the provision of monthly packages of food at affordable prices to the most vulnerable families, cash transfers, and strengthening of nutritional assessment and recuperation services. But more needs to be done to reverse the worrisome decline in children's nutritional well-being, said UNICEF.

The children's agency went on to call for the rapid implementation of a short-term response to counter malnutrition.

UNICEF reiterated its readiness to strengthen support for the Venezuelan government and civil society partners to mitigate the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable children. Enditem