Kabul : The World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNFPA, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a joint call for urgent, coordinated global action to address a worsening malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan, particularly among children and women.
The statement warns that Afghanistan is among the 15 countries with the highest rates of “child wasting.” Over 3.5 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including 1.4 million suffering from life-threatening conditions. Additionally, four in every ten women are undernourished.
This crisis is driven by severe food insecurity caused by economic instability and environmental disasters like drought. Around 9.8 million people face acute food shortages, and 2.1 million young children live in child food poverty, lacking access to a diverse and nutritious diet.
The statement quotes Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah, UNFPA Representative in Afghanistan, as saying: “Good maternal nutrition is crucial for maternal health and the survival of newborns in Afghanistan, where many women start pregnancy undernourished. Poor maternal nutrition not only increases the risk of maternal mortality but also contributes to low birthweight, stunted growth, and poor developmental outcomes for children.”
The UN emphasized the need for global support across food, health, water, education, and social services to both prevent and treat malnutrition.
UNICEF’s Representative, Tajudeen Oyewale, called the crisis a “test of global commitment,” emphasizing that “millions of children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition due to poor services and food poverty. Investing in nutrition today is an investment in peace, resilience, and the future of Afghanistan.”
Previously, the World Food Programme predicted that by 2025, 3.5 million children in Afghanistan would suffer from malnutrition.
The agency also reported that 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in the country are currently affected by malnutrition and urgently need nutritional treatment and support.
