Afghanistan faces rising child malnutrition amid funding crisis

Afghanistan is facing a severe escalation in child malnutrition as humanitarian funding shortages force the closure of health facilities and cuts to food distributions. According to Save the Children, nearly one in 10 Afghan children under five is suffering from acute malnutrition, with an estimated 3.7 million children affected this year.

Funding for humanitarian aid has seen a drastic decline, dropping from $3.27 billion in 2022 to $1 billion in 2025. For 2026, only $438 million has been secured, leaving a 74% funding gap. These shortages have led to the closure or suspension of approximately 600 health facilities, impacting roughly four million people, half of whom are children.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) reports that malnutrition has reached critical levels in 12 provinces, a record number. WFP officials noted that wasting—a condition where children become dangerously thin for their height—has worsened in over three-quarters of the country. The crisis is driven by a combination of conflict, unemployment, and rising food prices, with many children arriving at facilities too late for life-saving therapeutic feeding.