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[INTERNATIONAL] · Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan · 10 sources

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Part of situation: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict and humanitarian crisis (63 clusters)

Afghanistan child malnutrition crisis worsens amid funding cuts

acute malnutrition humanitarian funding crisis child welfare Afghanistan health services wasting

Save the Children has issued an alarm regarding a severe malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan, reporting that nearly one in ten children under the age of five is suffering from acute malnutrition, or wasting. In 2026, an estimated 3.7 million children are affected, representing a 14 percent increase over the last four years.

The crisis is being exacerbated by a massive decline in international humanitarian aid. Funding for Afghanistan dropped from $3.27 billion in 2022 to $1 billion in 2025, a decrease of nearly 70 percent. As of mid-2026, only $438 million has been secured, leaving a 74 percent funding deficit. This lack of resources has forced the closure or suspension of nearly 600 health facilities, leaving approximately 4 million people—half of whom are children—without essential medical assistance.

Contributing factors to the worsening situation include the spread of infectious diseases, prolonged drought, and the return of over six million refugees from Iran and Pakistan. The deterioration of wasting levels was noted in two-thirds of Afghan provinces during the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year.

Entities

Afghanistan · Ashish Damle · Save the Children · Taliban · United Nations

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Save the Children, in Afghanistan un bimbo su 10 soffre di malnutrizione acuta » LO_SPECIALE [www.lospecialegiornale.it]
Red Barnet slår alarm: Millioner af børn sulter i Afghanistan, mens hjælpen svinder ind | Red Barnet [via.ritzau.dk]
One in 10 children acutely malnourished in Afghanistan, aid agency says | Amu TV [amu.tv]
Malnutrition on rise in Afghanistan, Pakistan returnees increasing pressure: NGO - tennews. in: National News Portal [tennews.in]
Save the Children, in Afghanistan un bimbo su 10 soffre di malnutrizione acuta - Mantovauno. it [mantovauno.it]
Save the Children, in Afghanistan un bimbo su 10 soffre di malnutrizione acuta - Il Quotidiano del Sud [www.quotidianodelsud.it]
Save the Children, in Afghanistan un bimbo su 10 soffre di malnutrizione acuta - InLibertà [www.inliberta.it]
Save the Children, in Afghanistan un bimbo su 10 soffre di malnutrizione acuta - Calabria News [www.calabrianews.it]
Save the Children, in Afghanistan un bimbo su 10 soffre di malnutrizione acuta [www.spotandweb.it]
UN retrains workers to take suicide calls as hunger pushes Afghans to breaking point [www.independent.co.uk]