UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has recently announced that the increase in severe malnutrition among children has heightened pressure on hospitals in Afghanistan.
The organization published a report stating that we should not wait for children to reach a dangerous state and require hospitalization.
Dr. Tajuddin Owyala, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, emphasized that intervention is necessary to prevent the worsening of children’s conditions before they reach a critical stage.
Mr. Owyala stressed that UNICEF and its partners need “more flexible and sustainable financial assistance” to combat the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan.
He added: “Across Afghanistan, 3.7 million children are currently suffering from severe wasting; they are severely malnourished, including about one million who are experiencing severe and life-threatening malnutrition.”
The report continued: “This is a crisis that disproportionately affects the youngest and most vulnerable individuals: nearly 40 percent of children hospitalized for severe wasting and medical complications are infants under six months old. Children under two years old account for 83 percent of cases of severe acute malnutrition.”
Mr. Owyala noted: “We are currently witnessing immense pressure on hospitals; since the beginning of the year, more than half a million children have been hospitalized due to severe wasting and are at high risk. The cases of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications have increased by one-third compared to the same period last year.”
The rise in child malnutrition in Afghanistan has raised concerns as many families face challenges in accessing health services and meeting basic needs.
