New research from the United Kingdom-based aid agency Save the Children reveals that one in 10 infants and young children in Afghanistan is currently suffering from acute malnutrition, a condition marked by a sudden and severe decline in nutritional health.
According to Save the Children, acute malnutrition among children under five has surged by 14% over the past four years, now affecting approximately 3.7 million children in 2026. The proportion of affected children is increasing rather than stabilizing.
The rise in malnutrition is largely attributed to a significant slowdown in humanitarian aid, which has led to the closure of about 600 essential healthcare facilities across the country. More than halfway through 2026, only $438 million has been secured in humanitarian aid.
Ashish Damle, country director for Save the Children in Afghanistan, highlighted the compounding challenges: "Severe hunger, the staggering number of returnees and mass internal displacement due to disasters, recent conflict and four years of drought are stretching limited humanitarian resources to the brink."
The aid agency also referenced United Nations data confirming the increasing malnutrition rates among young Afghan children. The closures of health services due to funding shortages have exacerbated the crisis, putting millions of children at risk.
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