In Senegal, a community-based program designed to treat severe acute malnutrition in children is facing significant challenges due to shortages of life-saving food. Since 2022, the Senegal Ministry of Health partnered with nonprofits like Helen Keller Intl to train and equip community health workers to provide ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), known by the brand name Plumpy’Nut. This nutrient-dense paste, made of peanut butter, powdered milk, oil, and sugar, allows families in remote areas to treat malnourished children at local clinics rather than traveling to distant hospitals. However, health officials report that sudden cuts to U.S. Foreign aid have caused a “shockwave” through the system. USAID previously supported the program and general nutrition staff until 2025, while the U.S. Was the largest supporter of UNICEF, which distributes the majority of RUTF in the country. Regional health officials state that some districts are receiving about half of the RUTF they used to, and there are fewer staff available to shuttle the product from central warehouses to smaller clinics. The shortages have led to a rise in malnutrition cases and a decrease in clinic visits. In one region, the number of children screened for malnutrition dropped from over 180,000 in late 2024 to fewer than 87,000 in the following quarter. Community health workers report that some families have stopped coming to clinics because they are being sent home empty-handed, while others blame the workers for choosing which children receive the limited supplies. While some philanthropic funds and foreign aid are beginning to improve the flow of RUTF, the supply remains unstable. In some areas, the number of paid community health workers has been halved. To address the gap, some workers are creating home-grown substitutes using local ingredients like millet, maize, and ground nuts, though they note these are less effective than the standard RUTF.