Child Malnutrition in Helmand Intensifies Pressure on Hospitals

Officials from the aid group Doctors Without Borders have described the situation of child malnutrition in Helmand as alarming, saying the rise in patients has put greater strain on health facilities in the province. They said shortages have become so severe that, in some cases, two children are admitted to one bed.

The media office of the Taliban administration in Helmand said on Sunday, 5 Mizan, that Amanuddin Mansour, the administration’s governor in Helmand, told officials from Doctors Without Borders during a meeting that the difficult economic situation of the people and limited access to health services had increased the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the province.

According to the published statement, Salah Ibrahim, head of Doctors Without Borders in the southwest region, and Lucy Navo, the organisation’s head in Helmand, also said during the meeting that the number of patients had increased and hospital capacity was not meeting the existing need.

This comes as Afghanistan’s malnutrition crisis has worsened this year. The World Health Organization had previously warned that in 2026, about 3.7 million children under the age of five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will face acute malnutrition.

At the same time, reduced humanitarian aid funding, shortages of health workers and the closure of some treatment centres have increased pressure on Afghanistan’s health system. The World Health Organization has also warned that this situation has made access to essential services more difficult for women and children.

Alongside poverty and a lack of health services, women and girls also face further restrictions when seeking treatment. The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan has said that the requirement to be accompanied by a mahram has restricted women’s movement and access to health services, and that Taliban regulations regarding female health workers have made it difficult for them to operate in some areas.

Helmand is one of Afghanistan’s southern provinces, where the combination of poverty, a shortage of medical services and rising health needs has increased the vulnerability of children and mothers.