At least 15,323 children aged between six to 59 months were admitted and treated for severe acute malnutrition in February as parts of the country continued to suffer from drought.
A report by Unicef said the 7,873 girls and 7,450 boys were from the Arid and semi-arid and non-Asal counties as well as those from refugee settlements.
Acute malnutrition is a form of undernutrition caused by a decrease in food consumption and/or illness that results in sudden weight loss or oedema (fluid retention).
Acute malnutrition can be moderate or severe, and prolonged malnutrition can cause stunted growth, otherwise known as stunting.
Stunting in early childhood has health consequences that can affect children throughout their entire lives.
The latest situational report shows that cumulatively, 30,788 children which include 15,677 girls and 15,111 boys or seven per cent of the target have been reached with treatment.
A total of 192,695 caregivers were also reached with nutrition messages.
Unicef and implementing partners are supporting 2,160 integrated health and nutrition outreaches in the ASAL counties and are currently re-mapping hotspot areas following the short rains assessments.
On Wednesday, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that it will take time and commitment by the international community for communities affected by drought to recover.
Rusell who visited drought-affected Garissa and Dadaab refugee camps said as families are driven to the brink as a result of drought and now floods.
As a result, children are going hungry, missing school, forced into child labour or early marriage, and becoming sick including from cholera outbreaks.
The Ministry of Health on the other hand has reiterated its commitment to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms within five years.
The ministry has acknowledged that despite the country having made significant progress in reducing malnutrition in the past two decades, there exists wide regional variation in the distribution burden.
“We are worried about this because undernutrition increases the risk of illnesses, as well as lessening the ability of the children to grow to their full potential,” Health CS Susan Wafula said on Thursday.
She spoke during a Nutrition Improvements through Cash and Health Education (NICHE) programme review meeting in Mombasa.
