Afghanistan’s Malnutrition Crisis: A Silent Catastrophe Demanding Immediate Action
DID Press: Afghanistan faces a deepening humanitarian disaster as persistent droughts, ongoing for more than three years, have decimated agricultural output. This natural phenomenon, compounded by political instability, has intensified the vicious cycle of poverty and hunger.
At the center of this crisis is acute malnutrition, currently affecting 4.7 million mothers and children. The World Food Programme’s latest report paints a grim picture of the country’s nutritional landscape — not just as numbers, but as a human tragedy unfolding in Afghan homes, where mothers struggle to feed their children and young lives are denied the basic right to growth and development.
The WFP has requested $568 million in funding for the next six months, a figure representing the minimum resources needed to prevent a total collapse of the country’s nutrition system. With winter approaching, the urgency is heightened, as extreme cold frequently cuts off access to remote regions.
The roots of this crisis are structural. Continuous drought has slashed agricultural production to minimal levels, and the political instability has magnified poverty and hunger. Meanwhile, the mass return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries has further strained the nation’s limited resources, creating intense competition for scarce food supplies. Vulnerable groups — particularly mothers and children — remain the first and most affected victims of this multidimensional crisis.
The consequences of acute malnutrition extend beyond the present. Malnourished children face not only higher mortality risks but, if they survive, impaired physical and mental development, creating a generational challenge that will shape Afghan society for decades. Malnourished mothers are at heightened risk of life-threatening complications, reduced breastfeeding ability, and maternal mortality, undermining family stability and the country’s social foundations.
Addressing this complex crisis requires immediate, coordinated international intervention. Domestic obstacles and logistical limitations, however, have posed significant challenges to aid delivery. Rapid investment in nutrition and health programs remains essential to prevent an even greater catastrophe.
Afghanistan’s malnutrition crisis is a profound test of global conscience. The country, long beset by crises, now urgently needs international support. Failure to act threatens millions of lives and risks broader regional stability.
By Rahmatullah Enayati – DID News Agency