UN warns Afghanistan’s child malnutrition crisis deepens

Afghanistan is facing a rapidly worsening malnutrition emergency as severe funding cuts leave millions

Afghanistan is facing a rapidly worsening malnutrition emergency as severe funding cuts leave millions without life-saving assistance, the United Nations has warned.

Speaking from Kabul, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Afghanistan Director John Aylieff said the country’s nutrition crisis is escalating at an alarming pace, with growing numbers of severely malnourished children reaching health facilities too late to receive effective treatment.

He said child wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition, has now reached critical levels in nearly one-third of Afghanistan’s provinces. According to the WFP, ongoing conflict, disruptions to trade, the return of thousands of Afghan migrants from neighbouring countries, and shrinking international aid have combined to create an unprecedented humanitarian emergency.

The UN official said last year recorded the sharpest annual increase in malnutrition cases, while the situation has deteriorated even further in 2026. Children under the age of two account for around 80 percent of the most severe cases, highlighting the devastating impact on the country’s youngest and most vulnerable population.

Aylieff said the WFP has only enough resources to provide treatment to one out of every seven acutely malnourished women and children this year. The remaining six are forced to leave without assistance because of a severe shortage of funds.

He warned that the cries of starving children in Afghan health centres reflect a preventable tragedy that could claim countless more lives if emergency funding is not secured.

The humanitarian agency also expressed concern that widespread hunger could fuel migration, instability and extremism, stressing that a stable Afghanistan remains important for regional security.

Millions of Afghans have also returned from neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and Iran, over the past three years, placing additional pressure on already overstretched resources. Although this year’s harvest has improved, the gains have been overshadowed by the country’s worsening economic and humanitarian challenges.

The WFP estimates that nearly 14 million Afghans are currently experiencing acute hunger. However, funding shortages have limited food assistance to only a small fraction of those in need, while preventive food distribution programmes in high-risk areas have been suspended.