Karzai Calls Universal Education Key to Tackling Child Malnutrition

DID Press: Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has called for greater efforts to address Afghanistan’s worsening child malnutrition crisis, saying universal access to education is essential for building long-term resilience and reducing dependence on foreign aid.

Citing reports from international organizations, particularly the latest assessment by UNICEF, Karzai said around 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan face a growing risk of malnutrition.

He stressed that children’s health, as the country’s future human capital, must remain a national priority and urged relevant authorities and international organizations to intensify efforts to prevent the crisis from worsening and to safeguard children’s well-being.

Karzai also described universal access to education for all children and young people—both girls and boys—as a fundamental pillar in addressing the crisis. He said expanding public education and developing a skilled workforce would help reduce the long-term consequences of illiteracy, strengthen Afghanistan’s economy, and enable the country to meet its own development needs with less reliance on foreign assistance.