The United Nations called for immediate funding to assist 30 million children suffering from acute malnutrition in countries hit hard by the food crisis on Thursday.

Conflict, climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and rising living costs are causing an increasing number of children to be malnourished, according to UN agencies.

"Currently, more than 30 million children in the 15 worst-affected countries suffer from wasting -- or acute malnutrition -- and eight million of these children are severely wasted, the deadliest form of undernutrition," five UN agencies said in a joint statement.

Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen are among the 15 countries.

Soaring food prices, according to the UN, were exacerbating food shortages and displacing populations, as well as limiting access to affordable essential nutrition.

Read next: Ecuador: Chronic malnutrition stalks many poor children

The joint statement called for greater investment to support its efforts to meet the "unprecedented needs of this growing crisis, before it is too late."

Its plan aims to prevent, detect, and treat acute malnutrition in children through interventions in the food, health, water, and sanitation systems, as well as the social protection system. "This situation is likely to deteriorate even further in 2023," said Food and Agriculture Organization chief Qu Dongyu.

"We must ensure availability, affordability, and accessibility of healthy diets," it said.

The joint agency plan will focus on children under the age of five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and women and caregivers of children under the age of five. "Today's cascading crises are leaving millions of children wasted and have made it harder for them to access key services," said Catherine Russell, head of the UN children's agency UNICEF.

"Wasting is painful for the child, and in severe cases, can lead to death or permanent damage to children's growth and development," she said. 

Millions of children in 15 crisis-hit countries are in danger, they face the risk of death from severe wasting. pic.twitter.com/TBOOWy5iLc

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 24, 2022

The head added that the nutrition crisis must turn around through proven solutions to prevent, detect, and treat child wasting early.

Children suffering from acute malnutrition have weakened immune systems and are more likely to die from common childhood diseases. Those that survive could face lifelong growth and development challenges.

"The global food crisis is also a health crisis, and a vicious cycle: malnutrition leads to disease, and disease leads to malnutrition," said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Urgent support is needed now in the hardest-hit countries to protect children's lives and health, including ensuring critical access to healthy foods and nutrition services, especially for women and children."

Read next: US border plan risks undermining basic human rights: UN