New York (GNP): The United Nations has raised fresh concerns over the rapidly worsening child malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan, warning that severe funding shortages are forcing life saving nutrition and food assistance programmes to scale back at a time when millions of vulnerable children need urgent support.
According to the UN, the crisis has reached alarming levels, with malnutrition affecting children across large parts of the country.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has cautioned that without immediate international financial support, humanitarian organizations will struggle to continue delivering essential food and nutrition services, putting countless young lives at risk.
The latest warning comes as humanitarian agencies report that one-third of Afghanistan’s provinces are experiencing critical levels of child malnutrition.
The situation is expected to deteriorate further in the coming months unless emergency funding gaps are addressed.
Years of economic instability, climate related disasters, conflict, and displacement have left millions of Afghan families unable to access sufficient nutritious food.
Rising poverty and limited healthcare services have further intensified the crisis, making children among the most vulnerable members of society.
The UN emphasized that humanitarian organizations are being forced to reduce the scale of their operations because available funding no longer matches the growing needs on the ground.
Nutrition centres, food distribution programmes, and emergency assistance efforts are all under increasing financial pressure.
The World Food Programme stressed that sustained international assistance remains essential to prevent avoidable deaths and protect children from the long term effects of severe malnutrition, including impaired physical growth and cognitive development.
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UN officials have urged donor countries, development partners, and the international community to increase financial commitments to humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.
They noted that timely intervention can save lives while preventing the crisis from becoming even more severe.
Humanitarian agencies continue to work with local partners to provide emergency food assistance, nutritional supplements, and healthcare services despite mounting operational challenges.
UN highlights that additional resources are urgently required to maintain these efforts.
The United Nations reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Afghan people and called for greater global solidarity to ensure that vulnerable children receive the nutrition and medical care they urgently require.
