Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Acute malnutrition among children in Afghanistan is worsening as humanitarian funding falls sharply, forcing the closure or suspension of hundreds of health facilities and leaving millions with reduced access to essential healthcare.
Save the Children said on Thursday, August 13, 2026, that nearly one in 10 children under five in Afghanistan is suffering from wasting, with acute malnutrition worsening in two-thirds of provinces compared with the same period last year.
The number of children under five affected by acute malnutrition has risen by 14% over four years to 3.7 million in 2026, according to figures cited by the aid agency and UN data. Infectious diseases, poor nutrition and wider humanitarian pressures are contributing to the deterioration.
At the same time, humanitarian funding has fallen from $3.27 billion in 2022 to about $1 billion in 2025. Only $438 million had been secured for 2026, leaving a 74% funding gap, Save the Children said.
The funding crisis has contributed to the closure or suspension of nearly 600 health facilities, affecting about four million people, around half of them children.
The impact is particularly severe in remote areas, where health facilities can be the only affordable source of treatment. Save the Children said one clinic in northern Afghanistan serves about 10,000 people and receives more than 100 patients a day, with some families walking for hours to reach it.
The crisis is also unfolding as Afghanistan faces a growing number of returnees from Pakistan and Iran, displacement, drought and other humanitarian pressures, further increasing demand for already limited health and nutrition services. UN analysis estimates nearly 3.7 million children aged 6–59 months will experience acute malnutrition during 2026.
Save the Children warned that continued funding shortages could reverse progress in child health and nutrition and leave vulnerable families without timely access to lifesaving services.