UN Warns of Critical Surge in Afghan Child Malnutrition Amid Aid Cuts

Child malnutrition in Afghanistan has reached critical levels, forcing health workers to turn away six out of seven children and mothers in need, according to the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP). John Aylieff, the WFP country director in Afghanistan, stated that child wasting has reached critical levels in a third of the country's provinces. Approximately 80 percent of the most severe cases involve children under the age of two, many of whom arrive at clinics too late to be saved.

The crisis is driven by a combination of conflict related trade disruptions, deep cuts in international aid, and the forced return of nearly 6 million Afghans from neighboring countries since late 2023. These factors have placed immense pressure on public services and jobs, while staple food prices have risen by 20 to 30 percent. The WFP reports that nearly 14 million Afghans are facing acute hunger.

Funding shortfalls have severely limited operations, with the U.S. and several European countries cutting funding since January 2025. Consequently, the WFP can now reach only one in seven acutely malnourished women and children, a decrease from one in four in March. The agency has also halted food distributions intended to prevent famine in the worst hit areas and estimates it needs 500 million dollars over the next six months to prevent further escalation.