Britain pledges £8 million to fight child malnutrition in Afghanistan

KABUL: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that the British government has dedicated £8 million to UNICEF, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Food Programme (WFP), to combat malnutrition in Afghanistan. In a report released on Wednesday night, UNICEF highlighted that the cash assistance package is aimed at supporting 150,000 Afghan children aged 6 to 23 months, and it will be accessible to over 640,000 caregivers within local communities. The report states: “ The UK’s funding supports the “First Foods for Afghanistan” initiative, which is implemented by UNICEF, FAO, and WFP. The initiative aims to reduce food poverty and malnutrition among children by improving access to diverse, safe, and affordable essential foods for those aged 6 to 23 months.” According to UNICEF, the aid package will also support multifaceted initiatives in areas such as food, health, water, sanitation, social protection, and skill development for young children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.