One million Afghan children suffering 'life-threatening' malnutrition, UNICEF says
One million Afghan children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition, the UN children's agency UNICEF warned on Tuesday. The agency said 3.7 million children in Afghanistan suffer from wasting, meaning they are acutely malnourished.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
The UN children's agency UNICEF warned that one million Afghan children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition. The agency said 3.7 million children in Afghanistan suffer from wasting, meaning they are acutely malnourished.
Imagine you're a little kid in Afghanistan, and you're so hungry that you're getting very weak. That's what's happening to one million kids in Afghanistan right now. They're not getting enough food, and it's making them very sick. The UN is trying to help them get the food they need, but it's a big problem.
Analysis
Afghanistan's Malnutrition Crisis: A Growing Concern
The UN children's agency UNICEF has warned that one million Afghan children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition. This is a growing concern, with the agency saying that 3.7 million children in Afghanistan suffer from wasting, meaning they are acutely malnourished. The crisis is exacerbated by the country's economic collapse and ongoing conflict.
The economic collapse followed the Taliban government's return to power after US-led forces withdrew in 2021. The agency said that nearly 40% of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications were babies under the age of six months old. Meanwhile children under two years old make up more than 80% of severe acute malnutrition cases in Afghanistan.
Malnutrition plays a central role in the growing numbers of deaths of very young children, according to UNICEF. The agency described a 'worsening nutrition crisis' across the country, with more than half a million children admitted to hospital so far this year for high risk, moderate and severe wasting. In July 2025, around 6,000 cases were recorded; in July this year, the numbers went above 8,000, a third higher.
In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severe malnourished children for every available bed, warned UNICEF's Afghanistan country representative Tajudeen Oyewale. He said that if there is no treatment and they are not able to act fast, that one million number are at risk of dying.
Key points
- One million Afghan children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition, according to UNICEF.
- 3.7 million children in Afghanistan suffer from wasting, meaning they are acutely malnourished.
- The malnutrition crisis is exacerbated by the country's economic collapse and ongoing conflict.
- The UN is trying to help alleviate the crisis by providing aid and working with the Afghan government to implement policies that support nutrition and healthcare.
If the international community provides more aid to Afghanistan, it could help alleviate the malnutrition crisis. The UN could also work with the Afghan government to implement policies that support nutrition and healthcare.
If the malnutrition crisis is not addressed, it could lead to a significant increase in child mortality rates in Afghanistan. The country's economic collapse and ongoing conflict are exacerbating the crisis, making it harder to find a solution.
