Silent Death in Afghanistan: Malnutrition Crisis Threatens the Next Generation
The United Nations has identified malnutrition in Afghanistan as one of the most severe and widespread humanitarian crises in the country, with UNICEF warning that over 3.5 million children under five and nearly one million pregnant and breastfeeding women will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025.
Kokcha News Agency:In its latest assessment, the United Nations has highlighted the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan as one of the most profound and extensive humanitarian challenges currently facing the country. UNICEF has issued a stark warning that in 2025, more than 3.5 million children under the age of five and close to one million pregnant and breastfeeding women will suffer from acute malnutrition.
This alarming statistic comes at a time when Afghanistan’s healthcare system is severely weakened, and families have lost the economic ability to secure sufficient and nutritious food.
Structurally, a combination of chronic poverty, rising food prices, recurring droughts, and weak healthcare infrastructure has made access to food and basic health services difficult, if not impossible, for millions of people. Vulnerable families, especially in rural and remote areas, are facing a sharp decline in income and job opportunities, forcing them to skip meals or resort to consuming low-quality food.
In some provinces, such as Badakhshan, the rate of malnutrition among children is critically high. The lack of specialized treatment centers, shortages of nutritional supplements, and the inability of mobile health teams to fully cover mountainous and remote areas mean that many children are only brought to medical facilities when it is too late. In these conditions, the silent death caused by malnutrition threatens the future generation of Afghanistan more than any other peril.
Simultaneously, international aid resources have alarmingly decreased. UNICEF has stated that only half of the funding needed to combat malnutrition in Afghanistan has been secured, and if this trend continues, millions of children and mothers will be deprived of vital assistance. The continuation of this situation will not only have extensive humanitarian consequences but will also severely impact the country’s social, educational, and economic foundations in the coming years.
