One million Afghan children suffering ‘life-threatening’ malnutrition

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has issued a warning about a deteriorating nutrition crisis in Afghanistan, where more than 500,000 children have been hospitalized this year for moderate and severe wasting. In a statement on Tuesday, Unicef reported that a staggering one million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition, which represents the most severe form of malnutrition.

Tajudeen Oyewale, Unicef's country representative for Afghanistan, emphasized that if no immediate action is taken, the one million figure could potentially lead to the deaths of these children.

Afghanistan has a history of recurring hunger crises due to its tumultuous past, including decades of civil war and other challenges. The current crisis has been exacerbated by the economic collapse that followed the Taliban's return to power in 2021 after US-led forces withdrew from the country.

Oyewale shared alarming statistics, revealing that nearly 40% of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and related medical complications were infants under six months old. Moreover, children under the age of two account for more than 80% of severe acute malnutrition cases in Afghanistan.

The UN representative described the situation as a "worsening nutrition crisis" across the country, with more than half a million children hospitalized for high-risk, moderate, and severe wasting in the current year alone. In July 2025, around 6,000 cases were reported, which increased to over 8,000 cases by July of this year – a third more than the previous year.

In certain regions of southern Afghanistan, hospitals are now facing a critical situation, with three or four severe malnourished children occupying every available bed.