KABUL: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that approximately 1.4 million children in Afghanistan suffering from severe malnutrition are at risk of death. UNICEF reports that Afghanistan is confronting one of the most serious malnutrition crises in the world, yet it has received minimal attention. In a recently published report, UNICEF highlighted that 3.5 million children in Afghanistan are affected by severe wasting, with many severely malnourished. Of this number, 1.4 million face a high risk of mortality. The organization noted that over 85% of these children are under the age of two. The report further indicates that by 2025, more than 50% of Afghanistan’s population, nearly 23 million people, will require humanitarian assistance, including 12 million children. It According to UNICEF, this year, over 850,000 children under the age of five need urgent treatment for severe malnutrition. At the same time, some families with malnourished children report that they cannot afford treatment due to poverty and unemployment. UNICEF’s concerns come as various organizations, including Save the Children, warned in April that millions of children in ten countries, including Afghanistan, may face a lack of access to emergency food supplies due to declining humanitarian aid. Additionally, in a joint statement in June, several UN agencies noted that nine out of ten children in Afghanistan—approximately two million—lack access to the necessary dietary diversity for growth. According to UN information, Afghanistan is among the 15 countries with the highest number of children suffering from severe malnutrition worldwide.
