UN warns 1.7 million children at risk due to severe malnutrition in Afghanistan

Kabul: The United Nations (UN) humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has warned that 1.7 million children in Afghanistan are at risk of death due to severe malnutrition and termed the situation as “shocking.”

In his remarks during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Wednesday, Fletcher stated that food insecurity has further exacerbated this winter, with many life-saving food distributions suspended. He further said that 1.1 million children do not have access to vital aid, leaving them extremely vulnerable, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported.

The UN official stated that 303 nutrition service centres have been shut due to funding shortage, further restricting emergency care for malnourished children. He said that ending restrictions on women and girls is critical for aid operations.

Fletcher also criticised Taliban restrictions on women working in UN offices, terming them as “unacceptable”, warning that the restrictions impact essential humanitarian services. He called on the international community to provide additional funding to operate aid programmes.

On December 7, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that hunger levels in Afghanistan are increasing at an alarming rate as the winter season is approaching.

In a statement, the WFP stated that malnutrition among children and women could reach levels “not seen in recent years,” Khaama Press reported.

WFP Executive Director Carl Skau said the agency has been forced to reduce food assistance from 10 million people to two million due to funding shortages. He warned that many children could face life-threatening conditions and possibly die due to malnutrition and exposure during the winter months.

The agency’s statement comes as the United Nations previously said that around 3.5 million children in Afghanistan aged below five years suffer from acute malnutrition.

Humanitarian workers have said that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most food-insecure nations, with drought, economic collapse and restrictions on aid further deteriorating the situation.

IANS