World Vision has warned that Afghanistan is confronting one of the worst nutrition crises in the world, as millions of children and mothers continue to face life-threatening hunger.
In a post on X on Monday, 11 November, the humanitarian organization said 3.7 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition across the country, at a time when aid to support life-saving services is rapidly declining.
According to the organization, one million of these children have become severely underweight.
World Vision added that 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also experiencing acute malnutrition.
The organization reported that 305 nutrition centers have been forced to shut down due to funding shortages and access challenges, while current resources meet only 30 percent of the needs.
World Vision said it joins other international agencies in calling on governments to scale up assistance, warning that “the time to act is now.”
It added that “hungry and malnourished children cannot wait.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power, rising poverty and unemployment have contributed to a surge in malnutrition, particularly among children and mothers. At the same time, humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has sharply declined, limiting the ability of aid groups to provide essential nutrition services
