RASC News Agency: The World Food Programme (WFP) has projected that by 2025, an alarming 3.5 million young children in Afghanistan could face severe malnutrition, as the country grapples with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. According to Mona Sheikh, WFP’s Head of Nutrition in Afghanistan, the current food security situation is far more dire than at any point in the past four years, with millions teetering on the brink of starvation. At present, 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in Afghanistan are suffering from acute malnutrition, requiring immediate medical intervention and sustained nutritional support. This situation is particularly concerning, as malnutrition during pregnancy and lactation can have devastating, long-term consequences for both maternal and child health, potentially leading to generational cycles of poor health and stunted development.
A recent WFP report paints a bleak picture of Afghanistan’s economic and nutritional landscape. It reveals that eight out of ten households are unable to secure a nutritionally sufficient diet, while three out of four families have been forced into debt simply to afford basic food supplies. These figures underscore a deepening economic catastrophe with far-reaching implications for public health, social stability, and national resilience. Moreover, the report states that one-third of Afghanistan’s population approximately 15 million people requires immediate emergency food assistance to survive. These individuals are trapped in a perpetual state of hunger and malnutrition, wholly dependent on humanitarian aid to meet even their most fundamental dietary needs.
The WFP has issued a stark warning: if this crisis remains unaddressed, Afghanistan could become the epicenter of one of the most severe humanitarian disasters of the 21st century. Amid persistent political instability and economic collapse, international organizations and relief agencies are scrambling to devise rapid and effective response strategies to mitigate the crisis, providing lifeline support to millions of Afghanistanis caught in the throes of extreme food insecurity.
