The United Nations Children’s Fund says it treated around 610,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition in Afghanistan last year, as millions more remain at risk amid worsening food insecurity.
In a message released today, UNICEF said it had screened 11.8 million children across the country for signs of malnutrition in 2025, working alongside humanitarian partners to identify those in urgent need of treatment.
The agency said it aims to expand its efforts this year and plans to provide health and nutrition support to around one million children suffering from acute malnutrition.
According to data from various UN agencies, more than three million Afghan children are currently affected by malnutrition, highlighting the sheer scale of the crisis facing families across the country.
Global aid organisations have warned that Afghanistan is confronting one of the world’s most severe food and nutrition emergencies, driven by a combination of widespread poverty, prolonged drought and the continuing economic downturn that has gripped the country in recent years.
Children, they noted, remain among the most vulnerable section of society as many provinces have limited access to healthcare, insufficient food supplies, and weakened public services, leading to a further intensification of malnutrition.
Humanitarian groups have warned that sustained international assistance and the expansion of nutrition programmes is imperative for preventing further deterioration of the country’s socio-economic landscape, and protecting millions of Afghan children from life-threatening hunger.
