Now Reading: Afghan child malnutrition worsens as food aid faces funding cuts
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Afghan child malnutrition worsens as food aid faces funding cuts
Afghan child malnutrition worsens as food aid faces funding cuts
Nearly 3.7 million Afghan children and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are projected to suffer acute malnutrition this year, the UN World Food Programme said. Twelve provinces have reached critical levels,…
The Story in Brief
Nearly 3.7 million Afghan children and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are projected to suffer acute malnutrition this year, the UN World Food Programme said. Twelve provinces have reached critical levels, the highest recorded number, while wasting has worsened in more than three-quarters of the country, according to UN officials.
WFP said 142 health centres closed in 2025 after aid reductions, cutting treatment access for more than 13,000 children. Food distributions to prevent famine will be suspended from August to October, the peak malnutrition season, because of funding shortages. The agency needs $540 million for the next six months. Afghanistan’s wider humanitarian appeal is just over 26% funded, the UN said.
The Indian Opinion
Claims that Afghanistan’s crisis is simply the result of one donor’s decisions miss the wider picture. Conflict, unemployment, high food prices, disease and disrupted supply routes have all worsened hunger, while aid cuts have closed treatment centres. Equally, headline figures should not become a substitute for delivery. The immediate test is whether the required $540 million arrives before October, when malnutrition usually peaks.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
