1 week ago

UN Warns One Million Afghan Children Face Starvation

Many children in Afghanistan are not getting enough healthy food.

UNICEF says one million children are dangerously malnourished and could die without quick treatment.

In total, 3.7 million children are suffering from wasting.

Babies and children under two make up a large share of the most serious cases.

Poor nutrition can lead to illnesses such as diarrhea and breathing infections.

Drought, floods, economic problems and returning families are making the situation worse.

Hospitals in some areas have more severely malnourished children than they can treat.

Aid programs are also losing money and more than 100 treatment sites have closed.

UNICEF is asking for faster help before more children become critically ill.

Key facts

Children with wasting: 3.7 million children across Afghanistan, according to UNICEF.
Severe acute malnutrition: One million children are suffering from the life-threatening severe form.
Youngest children: Children under two account for more than 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases.
Hospital admissions: More than half a million children have been admitted this year for high-risk moderate and severe wasting.
Treatment-site closures: More than 100 sites treating severe wasting have closed since 2025.
UNICEF funding: The Afghanistan nutrition program is estimated to cost $180 million this year and is 22 percent funded.
Severe-case increase: Admissions rose from around 6,000 in one cited July period to more than 8,000 in the following July period.

NDTV · 1 week ago