James from the IRC uses MUAC tape to test Peter, 2, for signs of malnutrition. Peter is held by his mother Abang. They fled together after being displaced from their home in South Sudan.

When children who experienced hunger crises grow up and have children of their own, those children are more likely to be born prematurely or underweight. New mothers suffering or who have suffered from malnutrition may not be able to pass enough nutrients to their children when breastfeeding.

There are also impacts on the baby when the mother is malnourished during pregnancy.

“If a mother is malnourished herself and underweight, when she delivers her baby, this may lead to her child becoming malnourished,” says Dr. Kassim, who has been contributing to the IRC’s malnutrition response in Nigeria since 2016.