UNICEF: More than one million Afghan children will face severe malnutrition by 2027

Elaha Fri Oct 2026 14 hours ago 36

According to a fresh report from these two organizations, released on Thursday, October 15, around one million and 90 thousand children among them will suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Additionally, the number of provinces facing a critical malnutrition situation has risen from seven provinces in 2025 to 10 provinces in 2026, and it is likely to increase to 14 provinces in 2027.


This report forecasts that in 2027, nearly one million and 300 thousand pregnant and lactating women will also suffer from malnutrition. According to these two organizations, the seasonal increase in malnutrition cases and the potential reduction in humanitarian aid funding could limit children's access to preventive and treatment services. Currently, only one in three children aged six to 24 months in Afghanistan receives sufficient and diverse food for healthy growth.


The prevalence of diseases such as acute watery diarrhea and measles, combined with nearly half of families lacking access to sufficient and safe water, has exacerbated the severity of this crisis.


UNICEF and the World Food Programme have identified southern Afghanistan, and particularly Helmand province, as severely affected areas, stating that existing services are not adequate to meet the growing needs of families. Tajuddin Ayoubi, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, has emphasized the need for sustainable and predictable funding for nutrition, health, water, and sanitation services. He stated that timely action can save lives and that, alongside strengthening family resilience, early detection of malnutrition and access to food and treatment must also be ensured.


Coby Rittel, Director of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, has also warned, following his recent trip to Helmand, that nutrition services in the province are under severe strain. Stressing the importance of treating severe acute malnutrition, he said that we must not wait until children's conditions reach a dangerous stage; rather, we should prevent them from developing severe acute malnutrition. According to him, true success will be achieved when a greater number of children are supported before their health deteriorates.


The Afghanistan Nutrition Cluster has also warned that if immediate and sustainable financial resources are not provided, the acute malnutrition crisis will worsen. This body has called for investment to sustain food, nutrition, and health services, provide safe water and sanitation facilities, and support family livelihoods. The report emphasizes that timely funding can prevent the crisis from expanding, maintain essential services, and reduce the human and financial costs of addressing this situation in the future.



The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme have warned that the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan is worsening and that more than four million children are projected to require treatment by 2027.

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