Too often, the global system for treating starving children has been slow, inefficient, opaque, bureaucratic, and unpredictable.
it’s time for a change.
About Us
Operation End Starvation (OES) is a public-private partnership and certified 501(C)(3) public charity working to create a world where no child dies of starvation.
Since it was invented 30 years ago, RUTF has been funded almost exclusively by short-term, sporadic humanitarian grants, making advanced planning impossible. Coverage rates have been low and volatile, and in most years, the vast majority of acutely malnourished children are not reached with the treatment they need. OES is designed to change that.
We proactively engage donors and governments to mobilize more predictable, multi-year funding to get RUTF and MMS to every child and mom who needs them.
founded on five core principles
Transparency: We publicly share how all our funds are spent, with independent verification of outcomes.
Cost-effectiveness: We fund life-saving treatment at the lowest effective price. We invest in affordable, effective solutions and use competitive bidding across the supply chain to maximize impact per dollar.
Leverage: We leverage philanthropy to unlock higher rates of public investment. For every $1 of private investment, we seek to leverage at least $3 of public support. We use seed philanthropic funding to cover 100 percent of our operating costs, so every taxpayer dollar goes directly to fighting deadly malnutrition.
Sustainability: We aren’t just a one-off fundraising push or a traditional program implementer. We are a catalytic global platform where public and private donors can invest in the fight against starvation for as long as it persists. We will implement long-term solutions by raising multi-year funding at scale.
Independence: We are independent of existing systems or governments and can build a fast, agile approach unencumbered by long-standing bureaucracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
OES is a financing, governance, and coordination platform for procuring and delivering RUTF and prenatal vitamins. We do not deliver these products ourselves; we procure them and competitively select international and in-country partners to deliver them, along with associated services, to children and pregnant women in need. Private philanthropy covers all operating costs, so every public dollar goes directly to purchasing and delivering lifesaving treatment.
As a steward of public and private funding, OES partners with experienced manufacturers, logistics providers, and implementing partners with proven performance. We offer strong oversight, transparency, and performance monitoring.
-
OES manages both public funding and philanthropic support. Initial philanthropic commitments have come from donors demonstrating dedication, expertise, and a proven track record in nutrition and global health. As OES demonstrates measurable results, we anticipate expanding our funding partnerships to include additional government partners, private foundations, philanthropists, and others who share our mission to end child deaths from hunger.
-
OES focuses its efforts on countries where we can save the most lives quickly. We prioritize geographies with:
High numbers of untreated children and pregnant women where proven interventions can save the most lives from malnutrition.
National nutrition strategies, humanitarian priorities, and strategic interests consistent with OES.
Effective partners and delivery systems capable of rapid, verifiable results.
-
OES will publicly document decision criteria, budgets, procurements, and results. Financial oversight includes quarterly reporting, annual independent audits overseen by the Board, and expenditure tracking. Program performance is verified by independent monitoring and evaluation partners, with findings used to inform management decisions and Board oversight.
-
OES embeds measurement and verification into operations from the outset. A dedicated dedicated Director of Cost-Effectiveness, Evaluation, and Learning on the Secretariat leads the development of OES’s impact framework, key performance indicators, dashboards, and reporting systems; ensures that cost-effectiveness remains our north star; and integrates findings into continuous performance improvement across programs and supply chains.
To provide independent verification, OES contracts third-party monitoring and verification providers to validate delivery, integrity, and results through spot checks, audits, and data validation. Findings are reviewed by the Secretariat and reported to the Board to inform oversight and corrective action.