WFP Warns of Sharp Rise in Malnutrition Among Women and Children in Afghanistan

Image: Ebrahim Noroozi / AP

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of a sharp increase in malnutrition across Afghanistan, particularly among women and children, saying that the situation is expected to worsen as winter approaches.

In a message on X on Monday (November 10), the organisation said: “For the first time in decades, a full winter response in Afghanistan may not be possible.”

The WFP described the crisis as “preventable” and urged the international community to provide urgent and effective support to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

According to the organisation, more than 2.5 million Afghan returnees, particularly women and children expelled from Pakistan and Iran, are suffering from severe malnutrition.

Earlier, World Vision Afghanistan also warned that the country is facing one of the worst nutrition crises in the world. The organisation reported that 3.7 million Afghan children are suffering from acute malnutrition, with one million at immediate risk of death.

World Vision added that more than 305 nutrition centres in Afghanistan have closed due to funding shortages, and current international assistance covers only 30 percent of the actual needs.