The United Nations Children's charity Unicef says six million children a year are dying of malnutrition and a further 100 million are susceptible to disease because poor nutrition has damaged their immune systems.

And the problem is now affecting once prosperous areas such as the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia.

Kyrgyzstan, known as the Switzerland of Central Asia, is the region's leader in economic reforms. But most of the nation's four million people are suffering hardships they've never known in Soviet times.

The BBC's correspondent Emily Buchanan, who has visited the country, says that in temperatures of minus 20, there is a new generation that doesn't have enough to eat and more than half the population is out of work.

Half of the population out of work

The Yernazarov family is typical, living off bread, noodles, potatoes and tea. They rarely eat meat and fruit and vegetables are too expensive to buy.

Poverty is a shock after decades in which all needs were met by the soviet machine.

Living off noodles, bread and potatoes

"We used to have a variety of food in the shops and it was easier to take care of our children. Now we have to sell or kill what is left of our livestock," Talaibek Yernazarov said.

The village health worker sees the disastrous effects of the narrow diet every day. In one area, two thirds of women of child bearing age are anaemic, deficient in iron.Their children are being stunted, physically and mentally.

In the local hospital, babies are routinely born premature and under weight. The government hopes a breast feeding campaign can begin to address the crisis.

Babies often born underweight and anaemic

It might be expected there would be an explosion of anaemia in remote mountain villages.

The economy has almost ground to a halt in the transition from communism and thousands are without jobs for the first time in their lives. But what is even more disturbing is that anaemia is rampant in the cities too, even in the capital Bishkek.

In the seven months of winter, vegetables are of low quality and a kilo of meat can cost up to a week's salary.

Anxiety that anaemia will slow down the country's development, has led to a drastic new policy. At one giant mill in Bishkek,, they have begun to fortify the flour with iron. But they cannot afford to expand to other mills.

So luckier families this winter will rely on their declining herds as a source of iron. But without a balanced diet, anaemia is creeping up on them. An insidious danger which is debilitating the next generation.

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