Afghan child malnutrition cases rise almost 50%

The cases of malnutrition among Afghan children have reached nearly 47 percent since January this year. 

In its report, Save the Children organization mentioned that it treated nearly 2,500 impoverished children in January, and now the number has increased to approximately 4,270 children, according to Devdiscourse. 

The hunger levels in Afghanistan have been increasing due to the drought, which caused crops to fail and harvests to decrease. The other main reason for the food crisis is the deteriorating economy in the country, leading to unemployment, poverty and increased food prices, according to Relief Web.

Afghanistan is presently facing a serious humanitarian crisis, as it has the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world, with more than 23 million in need of assistance and approximately 95 percent of the population having insufficient food consumption, Devdiscourse reported. 

Despite providing large quantities of food aid by humanitarian organizations, 50 percent of Afghanistan’s population is still encountering extreme hunger, with nearly one eighth of the population threatened by famine. Save the Children reported that malnourished children – especially young girls – are often not cared for when it comes to feeding compared to boys, according to Relief Web. 

Since the Taliban took over last year, the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened. Moreover, the Ukraine crisis has negatively influenced commodity prices and led to the rise in food costs, making it a new challenge for Afghans to secure their food. In less than three months, food prices have almost doubled, according to Devdiscourse.

It is worth mentioning that Save the Children started its work in Afghanistan in 1976. It has always supported the increasing number of children in need, reaching more than 3.3 million people, including 1.8 million children since September 2021, Relief Web reported.