Afghanistan faces malnutrition risk for 3.7 million children in 2026

UNICEF warns that up to 3.7 million children under five in Afghanistan are at heightened risk of acute malnutrition in 2026, ahead of the annual peak wasting season that runs from July to September. The agency’s report, *Too Little, Too Late: The Diet Crisis Facing Young Children in Afghanistan*, notes that acute malnutrition has worsened in 26 of the country’s 34 provinces compared with 2025, and that children under two account for 83 % of severe cases and 77 % of moderate cases. UNICEF Representative Tajudeen Oyewale said, “This new evidence gives us an opportunity to act before children reach the point of severe malnutrition… Treatment saves lives, but we must also invest in prevention, starting with the diets of the youngest children and pregnant women.” The warning cites compounding factors such as disease outbreaks, low immunisation coverage, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene services, and growing funding gaps, urging coordinated action across nutrition, health, WASH, education and social protection programmes.