Severe Budget Shortage Limits UN World Food Programme Aid to Only One in Four Malnourished Children in Afghanistan
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan has announced that due to a severe budget shortfall, it can only assist one out of every four children suffering from acute malnutrition. Approximately four million children in the country are grappling with this crisis.
John Ilyas, the head of the WFP in Afghanistan, told the Associated Press that Afghanistan is facing a widespread food crisis, with two-thirds of the population suffering from severe malnutrition. According to him, the current level of malnutrition in Afghanistan is unprecedented in recent years.
The World Food Programme has warned that ongoing financial shortages could endanger the lives of millions of children and needy families across the country. This comes as poverty and unemployment have risen following recent political developments and extensive restrictions imposed by the Taliban administration, further limiting citizens’ access to food and essential services.
International relief organizations emphasize that without immediate financial support from the global community, controlling the hunger crisis in Afghanistan will be extremely difficult—an emergency that disproportionately affects children in the country’s most vulnerable regions.
