The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says about 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from acute malnutrition, while another 1.65 million children are in critical condition.
The figures highlight the continuing food and healthcare crisis facing children across Afghanistan, where many families are struggling with poverty, economic difficulties and reduced humanitarian assistance.
Malnutrition can have serious consequences for children’s physical and cognitive development and can increase their vulnerability to disease and death when treatment is delayed.
The situation is placing additional pressure on Afghanistan’s healthcare system, increasing the need for nutritional treatment, medicines and humanitarian assistance.
The UN has also warned that international aid to Afghanistan has fallen sharply. A senior UN official recently said humanitarian assistance had declined by about 71.5% in 2026 compared with three years earlier, contributing to the closure of hundreds of healthcare facilities.
