UN Warns One Million Afghan Children Face Death from Severe Malnutrition

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) warned on Tuesday that one million children in Afghanistan are in danger of death due to severe acute malnutrition if immediate action is not taken. According to Tajudeen Oyewale, the Unicef representative for Afghanistan, a total of 3.7 million children in the country suffer from acute malnutrition. Children under the age of two represent more than 80 percent of the severe cases. Since the beginning of the year, over half a million children have been admitted to health centers for emaciation.

Contributing factors to the crisis include devastating earthquakes last year, recent climate disasters, and the return of millions of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that nearly 14 million people in Afghanistan suffer from acute hunger. Logistical challenges have also hindered aid, including a near total closure of the land border with Pakistan since October 2025, although the UN announced in mid August that over 700 trucks of supplies had arrived via Pakistan.

Funding and resources remain critical. Unicef requires approximately 180 million USD for its nutrition program this year but has only received 22 percent of that amount. The WFP noted that cuts in development aid from donor countries mean they can currently help only one out of every nine malnourished children.