The UN children charity, UNICEF, has provided treatment for over 270,000 malnourished children in Afghanistan in the first five months of 2023.
In a tweet on Thursday, UNICEF Afghanistan stated, “In the first 5 months of this year, UNICEF supported treatment for 273,000 children with severe acute malnutrition, with around 60,000 treated in May alone.”
According to aid organizations, the rise of poverty following the Taliban’s takeover has led to an increase in malnutrition among children in Afghanistan.
Fran Equiza, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, revealed in May that approximately 2.3 million children in the country are expected to face acute malnutrition this year. Among them, 875,000 children require treatment for severe acute malnutrition, which is a life-threatening condition.
Equiza also highlighted that approximately 840,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are at risk of acute malnutrition, which can have negative effects on their ability to provide optimal care for their infants.
