KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations has issued a strong call for urgent, coordinated action to address a worsening crisis of malnutrition among women and children in Afghanistan, warning that millions remain at risk without immediate intervention.
According to a joint statement from UNICEF, WHO, WFP, FAO, and UNFPA, Afghanistan is facing one of the highest burdens of child wasting globally. Over 3.5 million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, including 1.4 million suffering from life-threatening conditions.
UN says four in every ten Afghan women are undernourished—many entering pregnancy already malnourished, placing both their own lives and the health of their newborns at serious risk.
The UN’s Joint Strategic Call to Action on Nutrition highlights that the crisis is being driven by high levels of food insecurity, a fragile economy, and repeated environmental disasters such as drought.
Currently, around 9.8 million people in Afghanistan face acute food insecurity, while an estimated 2.1 million children live in child food poverty, unable to access the variety of foods essential for proper growth and development.
UN agencies emphasized that breaking the cycle of malnutrition requires multisectoral action involving food systems, healthcare, education, water and sanitation, and social protection.
“Malnutrition is not just a health issue—it’s a generational crisis,” said Dr. Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO Representative to Afghanistan, noting that early prevention and treatment are essential to give every child and woman the chance to thrive.
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that four out of five Afghan families cannot afford even minimally nutritious diets.
“Without sustained food assistance, millions of Afghans will descend into deeper hunger and acute malnutrition, especially with winter approaching,” said John Aylieff, WFP Country Director in Afghanistan.
Underscoring the importance of maternal nutrition, UNFPA noted that poor maternal diets contribute to low birth weight, stunting, and long-term developmental challenges.
“Ensuring women have access to nutritious food from pregnancy to breastfeeding requires the full support of families and communities,” said Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah, UNFPA’s Afghanistan Representative.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasized the role of supporting local farmers and improving food production and distribution to enhance dietary diversity and community resilience.
“With the right support at the right time, hunger and malnutrition can be reversed,” said FAO’s Richard Trenchard.
Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative to Afghanistan, called the crisis “a test of global commitment,” warning that without swift action, Afghanistan risks falling behind on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Nutrition Targets, recently extended to 2030 by the World Health Assembly.
With only five years remaining to meet global nutrition and SDG targets, the UN stressed that action taken today will determine whether millions of Afghan children and women are left behind—or given the opportunity to live healthy, dignified lives.
