Afghanistan: 3.7 million children under five at risk of malnutrion

By Francesca Merlo

A new UNICEF report warns that 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan are at heightened risk of malnutrition, as worsening food insecurity and poor nutrition continue to threaten the lives of the country’s youngest and most vulnerable.

Published on Monday, the report, Too Little, Too Late: The Diet Crisis Facing Young Children in Afghanistan, highlights an alarming deterioration in children’s nutrition across the country, calling for urgent investment in preventive measures before the annual peak malnutrition season intensifies.

Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises following decades of conflict, economic collapse, and recurring climate shocks. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the country has experienced a sharp decline in international funding, widespread poverty, and increasing pressure on already fragile health and social services. Women and girls also continue to face sweeping restrictions on education, employment, and public life, compounding the challenges faced by families across the country.

Analysis of child malnutrition

For the first time, UNICEF has assessed child malnutrition alongside household food and nutrition insecurity among the same group of children in every province of Afghanistan. The analysis identifies early warning signs – including reduced dietary diversity, skipped meals, children eating less than they need, and going hungry – that often precede acute malnutrition.

The report comes as Afghanistan enters the period when acute malnutrition traditionally reaches its highest levels between July and September. However, recent data from the country’s Nutrition Cluster indicate the crisis is worsening earlier than expected, with acute malnutrition increasing in 26 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces compared to 2025.

Children under the age of two are bearing the heaviest burden. They account for 83 per cent of severe acute malnutrition cases and 77 per cent of moderate acute malnutrition cases nationwide.

“Young children in Afghanistan are slipping into malnutrition even before the peak season has begun,” said UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Dr Tajudeen Oyewale.

“These new findings give us an opportunity to act before children reach severe malnutrition. When families begin skipping meals or cutting back on nutritious foods, it is not simply a sign of hardship – it is an early warning that a child may soon develop acute malnutrition.”

While treatment remains essential to saving lives, Dr Oyewale stressed that greater investment is needed in prevention, beginning with improving the diets of young children and pregnant women.

A crisis driven by multiple factors

According to UNICEF, deteriorating child nutrition is being fuelled not only by food insecurity, but also by disease outbreaks, low vaccination coverage, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene services, and growing shortages of funding and essential supplies.

Together, these pressures are increasing children’s vulnerability to acute malnutrition and underscore the need for a coordinated response that integrates nutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, education, and social protection services.

Acute malnutrition is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition in which a child becomes dangerously thin for their height, often as a result of recent food deprivation, illness, or both. Without prompt treatment, it can rapidly become fatal.

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The report also found that children living in households experiencing severe food insecurity are up to six times more likely to suffer acute malnutrition during the seasonal peak.

Call for urgent action

UNICEF is urging donors and partners to provide flexible, immediate funding to strengthen preventive nutrition services before the crisis worsens.

The agency is calling for greater investment in its “First Foods” initiative, which prioritises children aged six to 23 months, alongside expanded preventive nutrition programmes and better integration of essential services that support children’s nutritional needs.

With the annual peak malnutrition season now approaching, UNICEF warns that the window for preventing life-threatening malnutrition is rapidly closing.

“The warning signs are appearing earlier,” the report concludes, “and the response must come earlier too.”