One million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition amidst a worsening crisis, the United Nations warned on Tuesday. According to Unicef, 3.7 million children across Afghanistan suffer from acute malnutrition, including one million facing severe acute malnutrition, the most dangerous form of the condition.

Unicef's Afghanistan representative, Tajudeen Oyewale, told a media briefing in Geneva from Kabul that without immediate treatment and intervention, these children face a high risk of death. Afghanistan has faced recurring hunger crises over recent decades due to prolonged conflict and instability, exacerbated by an economic collapse following the return of the Taliban government to power after the withdrawal of US-led forces in 2021.

Oyewale noted that nearly 40 percent of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications are infants under six months old, while children under two account for over 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases. Highlighting the severity of the situation, Oyewale pointed out that malnutrition is a central factor in the rising mortality rates among very young children, with over half a million children hospitalized for moderate and severe wasting so far this year.

Data shows a sharp rise from 6,000 cases in July last year to over 8,000 cases in July this year, marking a 33 percent increase. In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are completely overwhelmed, treating three to four severely malnourished children for every available bed, he warned.