More than four million children at risk: UNICEF warns of Afghanistan's nutrition crisis

UNICEF and Action Against Hunger issued a stark Afghanistan forecast on 15 October. Their new analysis projects that more than four million children may need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027, the highest projected need in five years. It is a forecast of future treatment needs, not a count of children diagnosed today.

About 1.09 million children are projected to face severe acute malnutrition, 16% more than the 2026 estimate. The number of provinces at critical levels could rise from ten in 2026 to fourteen in 2027. Agencies cite difficulty obtaining nutritious food and safe water, preventable illness and a possible funding shortfall for treatment and prevention.

The practical message is to reach families before a child needs emergency hospital care. UNICEF calls for reliable therapeutic food supplies, local nutrition services, clean water and sustained prevention funding. Whether those programmes remain available will shape the actual scale of the crisis next year.

Source: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/afghanistan-face-sharp-rise-acute-malnutrition-2027-over-4-million-children