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

The United Nations children’s agency 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 US Agency for International Development (USAID).

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

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