Afghanistan faces escalating food insecurity and child malnutrition

Afghanistan is facing a severe escalation in food insecurity and malnutrition. An analysis by the REACH Initiative projects that 4.7 million people will face emergency-level food insecurity in 2026, more than doubling the figures from the previous year. Total acute food insecurity is expected to affect 17.4 million people this year, with 21.9 million people—approximately 45% of the population—requiring humanitarian assistance by 2026.

UNICEF reports that 3.7 million children in the country are currently suffering from acute malnutrition, including approximately 1 million cases of severe acute malnutrition that are life-threatening. The crisis is placing immense pressure on healthcare facilities; in some southern regions, hospitals are seeing three to four severely malnourished children for every available bed. Children under two years old represent 83% of severe acute malnutrition cases, and infants under six months make up nearly 40% of hospitalizations involving malnutrition and medical complications.

The crisis is driven by a combination of hunger, drought, displacement, and economic hardship. These factors create cumulative stress on households, reducing their ability to cope with successive shocks. Vulnerable groups include children under five, adolescent girls, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and internally displaced households.