Urgent Action Needed: Afghanistan Faces Escalating Malnutrition Crisis Amid Winter Approaches

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of the worsening malnutrition situation in Afghanistan, especially with the winter season approaching, stating that many forcibly returning families from neighboring countries, along with mothers and children suffering from malnutrition, have entered the country…

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that many families forcibly returning from Pakistan and Iran have entered Afghanistan along with mothers and children who have been suffering from malnutrition. This organization wrote on its X (formerly Twitter) page on Monday, November 10, that with the cooperation of international partners, it is providing vital aid at reception centers and crossings, as well as through nutritional services for vulnerable mothers and children.

According to this office’s information, over two and a half million people have returned from Pakistan and Iran to Afghanistan since the beginning of this year.

Lack of money for doctors and homes

An Afghan citizen who has recently returned to Faryab Province revealed serious difficulties in caring for her children and said: We have no home, and we also do not have money to take our sick children to the doctor.

The World Food Programme has also warned that the malnutrition situation in Afghanistan, especially among women and children, is rapidly deteriorating, and with the winter season approaching, there is a risk of a severe increase in malnutrition. WFP states that for the first time in several decades, a complete winter response may not be possible in Afghanistan; a crisis that, according to this organization, is preventable, and timely support from the international community can save Afghan lives.

Economic situation and maternal illness

A woman residing in the Injil district of Herat Province, who herself and her two children under five are suffering from malnutrition, identified economic problems as the main cause of this illness. She said: During my first pregnancy, doctors told me that I needed to have good nutrition, but since my economic situation was not good, I could not take care of myself properly. My first child also became malnourished, and because of the same issue, my second child also suffered from malnutrition.

Doctors say that families can largely prevent malnutrition among children and women by using simple strategies and local resources. Dr. Qasim Ali Shahryar, a specialist in internal medicine and pediatrics, recommended that the use of milk and meat from animals that people raise in their homes, attention to hygiene, using clean water and handwashing can prevent various diseases.

Closure of 305 nutrition centers

Meanwhile, the international relief organization World Vision Afghanistan has also warned that this country is facing one of the worst nutritional crises in the world and ranks fourth in the world for acute child malnutrition.

This organization wrote on its X page on Monday, November 10, that about 3.7 million children under five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan are suffering from acute malnutrition, while support for services has declined. The report goes on to state that 305 nutrition centers in this country have been closed due to budget constraints, and the current budget can only meet about 30 percent of the needs.

World Vision, along with other relief organizations including the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has urged the international community to act as soon as possible, as hungry and malnourished children cannot wait.