KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Program (WFP) has warned that 4.9 million women and children across Afghanistan are suffering from acute malnutrition, highlighting a deepening humanitarian crisis in the country.
In a statement published on X on Tuesday (February 10), the UN agency said that 3.7 million children and 1.2 million women are currently affected by acute malnutrition nationwide. WFP noted that in a WFP-supported clinic in Kabul, growing levels of malnutrition are forcing more children to seek treatment every day.
The agency said that as humanitarian needs continue to rise, it is maintaining the delivery of life-saving nutrition assistance, helping mothers and children gain access to urgent treatment and essential care.
According to WFP estimates, 17.4 million people in Afghanistan are expected to face acute food insecurity this year, including 4.7 million people classified in emergency conditions (Phase 4) under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The WFP warned earlier that over the next year, five million women and children in Afghanistan will face acute malnutrition, with nearly four million children needing treatment. Funding shortages are forcing clinics to scale back or close, leaving vulnerable families without help. Women are sacrificing their own health to feed their children, and distress calls to WFP are increasing.
Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises due to economic collapse, climate shocks, displacement, and limited access to food, healthcare, and basic services. The UN estimates that 22 million people, mostly women and children, will need assistance in 2026, and has appealed for $1.7 billion for immediate, lifesaving aid.
The warning comes as the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, while international aid funding for the country is declining, raising concerns about the sustainability of critical assistance programs.
Aid agencies have repeatedly cautioned that without increased and sustained support, vulnerable groups—particularly women and children—will face worsening health and nutrition outcomes in the months ahead.
