World's poor 'cutting back on food'

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A child suffering from a variety of health problems brought on by malnutrition sleeps in a Malawi hospital. Photograph: Ami Vitale/Getty Images

The world’s poorest families are cutting back on food and sending children out to work to pay for food amid soaring prices, according to a survey by British charity Save the Children.

In countries which are home to half the world’s malnourished children, a third of parents surveyed revealed that their children complained they did not have enough to eat. One in six said their children were skipping school to work for food.

The children’s charity is calling on the UK government to help lead a push to reduce hunger and protect children from food price spikes. It is urging British prime minister David Cameron to kick-start this with a “world hunger summit” at the Olympics - a time when world leaders will be in London - to tackle malnutrition.

The survey, conducted by the charity in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Bangladesh, provides a snapshot of the hardship that families are facing in countries already experiencing high rates of malnutrition.