One Million Children in Afghanistan Face the Most Severe Form of Malnutrition

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The United Nations says around 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are affected by a dangerous form of malnutrition known as “acute wasting”, with nearly one million suffering from its most severe and life-threatening form.

According to a report published by the United Nations on Tuesday (25 August), UNICEF said children under the age of two account for 83 per cent of severe acute malnutrition cases.

The agency warned that hospitals in parts of southern Afghanistan are facing a rise in the number of children suffering from severe malnutrition, with three to four children needing treatment for every available bed.

The number of children admitted to hospitals with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications has increased by one-third compared with last year. The figure rose from 6,000 cases in July 2025 to 8,000 in July 2026.

The United Nations cited repeated droughts, heavy rainfall and floods, regional instability, and pressure caused by the return of more than six million people to Afghanistan since 2023 as factors worsening the crisis.

UNICEF says many families can no longer afford enough nutritious food for their children, while meals have become smaller, less frequent and more limited in nutritional value. In a recent report, the agency said that for some children, their first food at six months of age may be only bread with tea or diluted yoghurt.

Cuts in humanitarian assistance have also made treatment more difficult. According to the report, more than 100 treatment centres for children suffering from severe wasting have closed this year compared with 2025.

UNICEF’s nutrition programme in Afghanistan has so far received only 22 per cent of the $180 million it needs for its activities this year.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, said there should be no need to wait until a child reaches the point of being “severely wasted and in a hospital bed”. He stressed that early intervention both saves children’s lives and costs less than treating severe malnutrition.

The malnutrition crisis is deepening as Afghan families face poverty, forced returns, declining humanitarian assistance and limited access to healthcare, conditions that place children at the greatest risk.