KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Kingdom has pledges 8 million pound to support efforts aimed at combating rising child malnutrition in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF said on Wednesday that the funding will be channeled through UNICEF, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Food Program (WFP) as part of a joint initiative to address worsening nutritional conditions among young children.
The assistance will be delivered through the “First Foods Afghanistan” initiative, which focuses on improving access for children aged six to 23 months to safe, affordable, and diverse complementary foods. The program is designed to support optimal child growth during the most critical early stages of development.
UNICEF estimates that more than 150,000 children under the age of two will benefit directly from the initiative, while over 640,000 caregivers and community members are expected to benefit indirectly.
“Too many children in Afghanistan are being pushed into malnutrition, nearly 80% of them under the age of two — the critical stage when children need nutritious complementary foods alongside breastfeeding,” said Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan.
He thanked the UK government for its support, adding that the funding will help UNICEF and its partners strengthen systems aimed at improving complementary feeding for both children and mothers.
The announcement comes amid alarming projections in the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, which warns that nearly 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan could suffer from acute malnutrition in 2026.
The report also estimates that 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are expected to face acute malnutrition during the same period, underscoring the scale of the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
