Getty Images Last week the much-anticipated 2020 edition of the South African Child Gauge, compiled by the University of Cape Town’s Children’s Institute, was released. The theme of this edition, food and nutrition security, could not be more relevant as the country continues to cope with the devastating physical and socio-economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Though the virus might have little physical impact on children, they have borne the brunt of many of its rippling consequences. Child hunger and malnutrition are part of South African history, and have worsened over the past year. Recent data has shown that throughout the hard lockdown period last year, child and household hunger increased, and at times nearly half of households reported running out of money for food.