Afghanistan projects 3.7m malnourished children

The U.N. World Food Programme said this week that Afghanistan is facing a record child malnutrition emergency as funding cuts force agencies to scale back food and nutrition support. WFP says nearly 3.7 million children are projected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026, alongside 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women. The agency says it currently has funding to reach only one in seven acutely malnourished women and children. UNICEF, which issued a separate warning in July, says the crisis is being driven not only by hunger but by poor diets, disease, unsafe water and weak access to services. ### How large is the crisis now? Nearly 3.7 million Afghan children are projected to suffer acute malnutrition this year, according to WFP. The agency said 12 provinces have reached critical levels of acute child malnutrition, which it described as a record number for the country. UNICEF said on July 12 that 3.7 million children under five were at heightened risk of malnutrition as Afghanistan approached its annual peak wasting season. (wfp.org) The agency said children under two were the hardest hit and called for earlier action to protect diets before cases become life-threatening. ### Why are aid agencies warning about cuts now? (wfp.org) WFP said this week that funding shortfalls have sharply reduced its operations in Afghanistan. The agency said it can now assist only one in seven acutely malnourished women and children, compared with one in four children needing treatment in March, according to reporting that cited WFP officials. (unicef.org) A WFP country brief published in June said many agency-supported health clinics were already facing shortages of specialized nutritious foods. That left some facilities unable to provide treatment for malnourished children and women, according to the brief. ### What is driving malnutrition beyond food shortages? WFP said conflict, unemployment, rising food prices, disease outbreaks, poor water and sanitation, and reduced humanitarian funding are all contributing to the rise in acute child malnutrition. (usnews.com) UNICEF said child food and nutrition insecurity is one of the main drivers of undernutrition, but not the only one. (reliefweb.int) The U.N. News service reported on August 4 that 14 million people in Afghanistan face acute hunger and that only one in nine are receiving WFP food assistance. The same report said children under two are the group most affected in provinces where child malnutrition has hit record levels. ### What are agencies saying happens when treatment is cut back? WFP said in a statement this week that, without immediate investment, the number of malnourished children and women is set to rise. (nbcnews.com) The agency linked cuts in aid, poverty and hunger to a worsening emergency among Afghan children and mothers. Reuters-reported remarks carried by other outlets said families are being turned away from clinics because supplies and funding are insufficient. (news.un.org) Those reports said donor cuts since January 2025, including from the United States and several European countries, have reduced the response capacity available to WFP. ### What comes next? (wfp.org) July and August are the period when wasting risk typically intensifies in Afghanistan, according to UNICEF’s July 12 release. The agency said the immediate priority is preventive nutrition support, especially for children under two, alongside stronger health, water and sanitation services. WFP said on August 4 that additional funding is needed now to maintain treatment and food assistance through the current peak season. (usnews.com) The next public markers are likely to come from updated WFP country briefs and UNICEF reporting as agencies track admissions, clinic supplies and provincial malnutrition levels. (wfp.org) (unicef.org)