KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that 3.5 million children in Afghanistan are projected to suffer from malnutrition this year, equivalent to one child every ten seconds.
Mutinta Chimuka, WFP’s country director, said in a video message on Monday (April 7) that Afghanistan is facing the worst child malnutrition crisis in its history.
She noted that mothers expected to nourish their children are themselves malnourished.
Chimuka stressed that with sufficient funding, the crisis can be stopped. WFP could treat malnourished mothers and children and provide them with nutritious food—if resources are available.
The agency has previously sounded the alarm over severe funding shortages.
Due to the shortfall, WFP now only supports children under the age of two, down from its earlier coverage of children aged six months to five years.
Malnutrition has long plagued Afghanistan, worsened by droughts, displacement, poverty, and collapsing livelihoods.
The crisis has deepened since the Taliban takeover, which triggered economic collapse and a steep decline in international aid.
