The United Nations World Food Program reported that acute malnutrition among children has reached critical levels across a significant portion of Afghanistan, with the situation expected to deteriorate further as funding constraints force reductions in food assistance and other humanitarian support.
According to WFP country director John Aylieff, the agency must take immediate action to prevent rising child deaths resulting from the crisis. UN humanitarian office spokesperson Olga Cherevko noted that malnutrition specialists have documented worsening conditions among children in more than three-quarters of the country. The condition known as wasting, which causes acute malnutrition and requires immediate therapeutic feeding, has become increasingly prevalent. Cherevko also reported that many children arrive at health facilities in severe condition, while others never reach treatment facilities.
The scale of the humanitarian challenge is substantial. Approximately 3.7 million Afghan children are projected to experience acute malnutrition this year, along with 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women. The WFP identified 12 provinces as having reached critical malnutrition levels among children, representing a record high. Contributing factors include ongoing conflict, unemployment, elevated food prices, disease outbreaks, inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure, and reduced humanitarian funding. The agency reported that 142 health centers closed during 2025 due to funding reductions, resulting in over 13,000 children losing access to nutrition treatment.
Supply chain disruptions have further complicated the situation. Conflict in the Middle East and Pakistan’s nine-month border closure have interrupted deliveries of nutrition products, leaving approximately one million malnourished women and children without essential services for an extended period. From August through October, the WFP plans to suspend food distributions in the most severely affected areas due to insufficient funding, despite this period representing peak malnutrition season.
The WFP indicated an urgent need for $540 million over the coming six months. The larger humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, totaling $1.71 billion, remains only about 26% funded according to UN humanitarian office data.
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