UNICEF Warns 3.7M Afghan Children Face Malnutrition Risk

DID Press: UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan face an increased risk of malnutrition as the country approaches its annual peak malnutrition season.

In a new report titled “Too Little, Too Late: The Young Child Diet Crisis in Afghanistan,” UNICEF said food and nutrition insecurity remain key drivers of child malnutrition and called for urgent action to protect children’s health and nutritional well-being.

The report—the first nationwide assessment to examine child malnutrition alongside household food and nutrition insecurity across all 34 provinces—found widespread warning signs, including reduced dietary diversity, skipped meals, inadequate food intake and child hunger.

The findings come as Afghanistan enters the peak wasting season between July and September, when cases of acute malnutrition typically rise.

Children under the age of two are the most affected, accounting for 83% of severe acute malnutrition cases and 77% of moderate acute malnutrition cases, according to the report.

UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale said young Afghan children are being pushed toward an even deeper nutrition crisis before the seasonal peak begins.

The agency stressed that malnutrition is driven not only by food shortages but also by disease outbreaks, low vaccination coverage, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene services, funding shortages and limited access to essential health supplies.

UNICEF warned that children in severely food-insecure households are up to six times more likely to suffer from wasting during peak malnutrition periods.

The agency called on the international community to provide urgent and flexible funding to expand preventive nutrition programmes—including the First Foods initiative for children aged six to 23 months—and strengthen healthcare, education, water, sanitation and social protection services.