The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has once again warned that children in Afghanistan are facing a serious threat of malnutrition.
Today (Monday, April 6), the organization published a video on its X (formerly Twitter) account, stating that in the current year, 3.5 million children in Afghanistan are expected to suffer from malnutrition.
WFP emphasized that every ten seconds, a child in Afghanistan becomes malnourished, and the reduction in financial aid has deprived millions of people of access to food.
The organization previously stated: “People are in an extremely difficult situation. We are seeing more women and children coming to clinics. Many of these mothers are very young.”
It further stated that the World Food Programme is often the last lifeline for women struggling to provide basic, nutritious food for their children. However, crippling restrictions continue to push them to the margins of Afghan society, forcing them to make impossible choices to feed their children.
It is worth noting that malnutrition is a serious crisis in Afghanistan, particularly among children. Issues such as poverty, lack of access to adequate healthcare and nutrition services hinder the provision of essential treatment and the prevention of this condition.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has predicted that the number of children suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan will reach 3.5 million by 2025.
According to UN reports, this figure has been around 3 million children under the age of five over the past five years.
OCHA also states that in 2025, 22.9 million people in Afghanistan will be in need of humanitarian assistance.
The organization requires a budget of $2.24 billion to provide aid.
In 2024, OCHA had requested a budget of $3.06 billion to assist the people of Afghanistan; however, according to the latest UN reports, only about 40% of this budget has been secured.
