UNICEF: 3.7 Million Afghan Children Hit by Acute Malnutrition Every Year
UNICEF reports 3.7 million Afghan children face acute malnutrition each year amid worsening humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s most severe child malnutrition crises, with an estimated 3.7 million children suffering from acute malnutrition every year. The situation has worsened significantly amid prolonged economic instability, drought, and dwindling humanitarian funding since 2021.
Speaking at the launch of updated malnutrition prevention and treatment guidelines, UNICEF’s Afghanistan representative Tajudeen Oyewale stressed the urgency of coordinated action. The revised guidelines introduce improved treatment strategies, with a stronger focus on life-saving interventions for the most severe cases, including specialised care for infants under six months old.
According to the World Food Programme, more than 90 per cent of Afghan households cannot afford sufficient food, placing children at serious risk of long-term physical and cognitive damage. Persistent hunger, combined with poor maternal nutrition and limited healthcare access, has pushed malnutrition rates to alarming levels, particularly in rural and remote regions.
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UNICEF highlighted that the crisis is compounded by restricted access to healthcare, shortages of medical facilities, and ongoing limitations on women healthcare workers. These barriers have severely disrupted early diagnosis and treatment, leaving vulnerable children without timely medical support.
Beyond nutrition, UNICEF also raised grave concerns about Afghanistan’s education system, reporting that over 90 per cent of 10-year-old children cannot read a simple text. The organisation described the situation as “schooling without learning,” reflecting deep-rooted problems in access, quality, and continuity of education.
According to joint UNICEF–UNESCO findings, around 2.2 million adolescent girls remain out of school, largely due to school closures and policy restrictions since August 2021. UNICEF warned that without urgent reforms and sustained investment in early education, literacy, and numeracy, Afghanistan risks perpetuating a cycle of malnutrition, illiteracy, and generational poverty.
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