Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of covid-19 on the number of children expected to experience stunted growth as a result of malnutrition.

We have worked to strengthen monitoring of the impacts of COVID-19 on nutrition. This includes compiling evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on nutrition outcomes and interventions, including on disruptions of key services and food consumption patterns. Research shows that by the end of 2022, COVID-19 and related economic impacts could result in an estimated additional 9.3 million wasted and 2.6 million stunted children. Prevention and treatment of malnutrition is part of FCDO's response to address the indirect impacts of COVID-19 in countries such as Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and Ethiopia.