Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has described malnutrition as one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the country.
More than 90% of young children in Afghanistan face food poverty, and 1.4 million of them are at risk of death due to malnutrition.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has described malnutrition as one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the country.
Diana, the mother of a malnourished child, said: “I couldn’t feed this child or even myself. I had another child to feed too. We didn’t have good food, and I had to wean this one off. Now he’s malnourished.”
UNICEF ranks Afghanistan as the fourth worst country globally for child food poverty, reporting that 90% of young children in the country struggle with malnutrition.
With support from the Commonwealth and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF has launched the “First Foods Afghanistan” initiative. The program aims to improve the diets of children under two by transforming food and nutrition systems and ending child food poverty, intending to reach 1.7 million children nationwide.
Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, stated: “We are shifting the focus from calories to nourishment through child sensitive food systems, and from addressing malnutrition solely through services to also prioritizing the actual foods young children consume. This integrated approach is the only sustainable path to breaking the cycle of malnutrition and poverty in Afghanistan.”
Omid Rahman Fazel, UNICEF spokesperson in Afghanistan, said: “The goal is to end food poverty in Afghanistan. UNICEF is covering 1.7 million children across all 34 provinces. This program also encourages families to use locally available, nutritious foods to prevent malnutrition in their children.”
“We invite donors, partners, and communities to join UNICEF in this initiative to support young children with access to essential diverse foods in their crucial first years of life,” said Robert Chatterton Dickson, acting UK ambassador to Afghanistan.
Dr. Mohammad Arif Hassanzai commented: “The root issue is that the household economy where the child lives must be strong. I urge both international and local organizations working in child nutrition to increase their efforts and support families with malnourished children. This way, not only the sick children but also others in the household can be protected.”
According to UNICEF’s 2025 report on child food poverty, 3.5 million young children suffer from acute wasting, with 1.4 million at risk of death.
Earlier this week, on Sunday, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, FAO, and UNFPA issued a joint statement calling for bold, coordinated action to combat the nutrition crisis among children and women in Afghanistan. Their data showed that 4 in 10 women suffer from malnutrition, and 9 in 10 children experience food poverty.