Save the Children Warns of Worsening Hunger Crisis Among Afghan Children

Save the Children has warned that more than one in three children in Afghanistan will face crisis or emergency levels of hunger this winter, marking a significant increase from last year.

In its latest report, the organization stated that by March 2026, around 36 percent of Afghan children — over 9 million — will experience severe food insecurity. This figure represents an 18 percent rise compared to the previous year, intensifying concerns over the country’s escalating humanitarian crisis.

The report also revealed that approximately 3.7 million children under the age of five are currently suffering from acute malnutrition. Without consistent access to health and nutritional services, these children face potentially irreversible consequences.

Additionally, Save the Children projected that around 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan will require treatment for malnutrition. Aid organizations stress that ongoing restrictions, widespread poverty, and the Taliban administration’s inability to provide basic livelihoods and services have deepened the hunger crisis, placing children at the forefront of this humanitarian disaster.