UNICEF: One million children in Afghanistan face life-threatening malnutrition

UNICEF warned on Tuesday that 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a dangerous form of malnutrition, with around one million facing the most severe, life-threatening form. Children under two account for 83% of severe acute malnutrition cases. Hospitals in southern Afghanistan are overwhelmed, seeing three to four severely malnourished children per bed. Severe acute malnutrition admissions with complications rose by one-third from July 2025 to July 2026, from 6,000 to 8,000. Causes include drought, floods, El Niño, regional instability, and the return of over six million people since 2023. Funding cuts have closed over 100 treatment sites this year, and the nutrition programme has only 22% of its required $180 million funding. UNICEF Representative Tajudeen Oyewale highlighted the case of Sagida, a 9-month-old girl who recovered after treatment, and stressed the need for early intervention.