Analysis by PMOI/MEK

Iran, Dec. 6, 2018 - Poverty is among the most important factors behind growing malnutrition amid Iranian children, leading to physical and mental inabilities.

As poverty and malnutrition escalate among the Iranian populace, a large number of people – especially children – are suffering from illnesses due to lack of access to adequate amounts of food.

Malnutrition has expanded to a point that even those hospitalized, who should be provided adequate food, are also facing grave dangers. Nutrition officials in the Iranian regime’s Health Ministry are making alarming remarks regarding patients’ malnutrition.

“Malnutrition among hospitalized patients, especially those held in ICU and CCU sections, is a very serious concern literally threatening the lives of patients by disrupting their healing process,” according to the Iranian regime’s Javan daily (associated to the Revolutionary Guards – IRGC).

Many experts believe millions of Iranian children are currently suffering from malnutrition, leading to low weight, low height, improper brain and physical growth, decrease in intelligence, severe decrease in learning capabilities, osteoporosis and the increasing possibility of becoming ill.

New illnesses mushrooming across the country, especially a significant increase in cancer, low blood levels, and intestinal illnesses are just a few of the crises resulting from malnutrition. Based on statistics published in the regime’s own media outlets, over six million people across Iran are suffering from osteoporosis, which literally means porous bone, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced. As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture is greatly increased. The loss of bone occurs silently and progressively.

“800,000 Iranian children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition. Estimates show half of these children are not receiving adequate food supplies due to illnesses and low nutrition culture. The other half of these children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition and low brain growth because of being born to a poor family. Child experts believe malnutrition is the main cause behind children’s brains suffering from poor growth. Malnutrition numbers vary across the country,” according to the state-run Tabnak daily (2 January 2018).

In an interview with the state-run ILNA news agency on December 4, head of the Health Ministry’s Children Department is calling for intervention to confront malnutrition across the country. He also acknowledged that children in the provinces of Hormozgan, Kurdistan, and Sistan & Baluchistan provinces are suffering from the low weight.

In West Azerbaijan Province, more than 2,000 children are facing the threat of hunger and malnutrition. They will most certainly suffer from serious illnesses if their dilemmas go untreated, according to Hamshahri daily (2 June 2018).

One can certainly assume the actual number of children suffering from malnutrition in Iran’s poor provinces are much higher. It is a known fact that the mullahs’ regime ruling Iran feels no responsibility to provide for Iranian youths and deliver credible numbers in regards to children’s malnutrition.

The regime’s media outlets provide scattered numbers in regards to children’s malnutrition without sourcing or basing their statistics on credible research. There is a deliberate reasoning behind the regime failing to deliver official malnutrition numbers, especially among children. The Iranian regime simply refuses to shed light on the critical status of Iran’s powder keg society.

Considering the dreadful economic conditions the Iranian people are suffering from, the future of malnutrition in Iran, especially among children, looks bleak and will further expand into becoming a major crisis for the Iranian people.

Growing poverty is one of the main factors behind malnutrition among Iranian children, is resulting from a major rift in society’s classes. Iran’s society is now described as a 4 percent minority living in wealth while the 96 percent majority are living in poor conditions and even extremely poor conditions.

For example, the wealth of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is valued at over $95 billion. This money is controlled by state officials while millions of Iranian children are suffering from malnutrition.