Afghanistan is facing a worsening child nutrition crisis, with malnutrition reaching critical levels in an increasing number of provinces as shortages of humanitarian funding force agencies to reduce food distributions and essential health services. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the situation could deteriorate further in the coming months, raising concerns over a rise in preventable child deaths.
According to the WFP, acute child malnutrition has reached critical levels in 12 Afghan provinces, the highest number recorded so far. Nearly 3.7 million children in the country are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, while around 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also projected to face the condition. The agency has urged the international community to step up financial support, warning that the consequences of continued funding shortages could be severe.
The worsening crisis comes at a particularly dangerous time because Afghanistan is entering the annual peak period for malnutrition, which generally runs from July through October. Despite the increased need for food and nutritional assistance during these months, the WFP said it has been forced to suspend food distributions designed to prevent famine in some of the worst-affected areas between August and October because of insufficient funding.
John Aylieff, WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, said urgent action was needed to prevent further loss of children’s lives. He warned that the humanitarian crisis was already having deadly consequences, with many children unable to access timely treatment and nutritional support.
The impact of funding reductions has already been felt across Afghanistan’s healthcare and nutrition system. The WFP said 142 health centres were forced to close during 2025 because of reductions in humanitarian assistance. The closures resulted in more than 13,000 children losing access to essential nutrition treatment. Humanitarian organisations are now struggling to maintain services at a time when the number of people requiring assistance continues to grow.
The nutrition crisis is being driven by several factors, including years of conflict and instability, widespread unemployment, rising food prices, disease outbreaks and inadequate water and sanitation facilities. Afghanistan’s fragile economy has left many families unable to afford sufficient nutritious food, while vulnerable communities remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance.
Supply disruptions have added another layer to the crisis. According to the WFP, shortages of essential nutrition supplies have been linked partly to conflicts in the wider region and the prolonged closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border amid tensions between the neighbouring countries. These disruptions affected the delivery of vital nutrition products and left nearly one million malnourished women and children without essential nutrition services for several months.
The reduction in international humanitarian funding has made the situation even more difficult. Funding for food assistance has fallen by about 59 per cent since 2022, even as humanitarian needs have increased significantly. In February, the WFP said funding constraints had become so severe that it was being forced to turn away a large proportion of children suffering from acute malnutrition.
The agency has said it urgently requires around $540 million over the next six months to maintain critical operations and prevent further deterioration of the situation. Although the United States pledged $800 million to the WFP in June for its global operations, humanitarian agencies continue to face significant funding gaps for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s humanitarian difficulties are also linked to the country’s prolonged political and economic upheaval following decades of conflict and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. With international assistance declining, families already struggling with poverty are increasingly vulnerable to food shortages and inadequate healthcare.
Humanitarian organisations have warned that without additional funding, more children could be left without treatment at a time when malnutrition is at its seasonal peak. The WFP’s latest warning has therefore renewed calls for immediate international assistance, with aid agencies stressing that preventing child deaths will require uninterrupted access to food, medical care and specialised nutrition services across the country.
