UNICEF Treats 610,000 Malnourished Children in Afghanistan Last Year

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that in the past year, 610,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition in Afghanistan received treatment. The agency stated on Monday, March 8, that these services were provided in collaboration with its operational partners across various regions of the country.

According to UNICEF, during the same period, 11.8 million children were also screened for wasting and malnutrition cases. This process aims to enable early detection and prevent the worsening of children’s health conditions.

UNICEF emphasized that in the current year, it plans to extend acute malnutrition-related health services to an additional one million children in Afghanistan. This comes amid earlier reports from United Nations agencies indicating that more than three million children in the country face various degrees of malnutrition.

The rise in malnutrition cases in Afghanistan is occurring amid an economic crisis, widespread poverty, and restrictions imposed by the Taliban administration on women’s employment and education, making it harder for many families to access income and essential services. Aid organizations have repeatedly warned that without sustained support and the removal of existing barriers, the situation for children across different parts of the country will deteriorate further.