Overview
- This week UNICEF published a nationwide analysis showing 3.7 million children under five in Afghanistan are at increased risk of undernutrition.
- Nutrition Cluster data cited by UNICEF show acute malnutrition has worsened in 26 of 34 provinces compared with last year and warning signs are appearing earlier than usual ahead of the July–September peak.
- Children under two bear the heaviest burden, accounting for about 83% of severe cases and 77% of moderate cases, placing a critical development window at highest risk.
- UNICEF links the deterioration to household food insecurity, disease outbreaks, low immunisation coverage, and gaps in water, sanitation and hygiene services and in programme funding and supplies.
- The report introduces a new cohort‑level measure that matches household food‑security indicators to child malnutrition and calls for rapid scale‑up of preventive work such as the First Foods Initiative to avert life‑threatening wasting.