UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund for Afghanistan, has announced the launch of the “First Food of Afghanistan” program to prevent a food crisis in the country.
In a statement published on its X account, the organization noted that 90% of children in Afghanistan live with food insecurity, with half of them facing “severe food insecurity.”
UNICEF emphasized that the goal of this program is to improve the nutritional regime of children under two years old through transformation in food and nutrition systems.
The statement mentioned that this program is set to cover 1.7 million children across Afghanistan.
The United Nations Children’s Fund for Afghanistan added that the First Food of Afghanistan program encourages people to provide local and nutritious supplementary foods for their young children as much as they can.
The statement quoted Dr. Tajuddin Owyali, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, saying that children in Afghanistan are not only suffering from malnutrition but are also “chronically” deprived of the most basic elements of growth.
Mr. Owyali warned, “Half of the children in Afghanistan consume only two out of eight essential food types daily, which puts them at high risk of malnutrition and even death.”
According to reports, by the year 2025, 1.5 million young children in Afghanistan are expected to suffer from severe wasting, with 1.4 million of them at high risk of mortality, and 85% of these are children under two years old.
UNICEF states that more than 33% of children trapped in severe food insecurity are at risk of stunting and developmental delays.
Additionally, the United Nations Children’s Fund mentioned in its statement that Afghanistan ranks fourth among countries facing the highest rates of severe food insecurity among children.
