1 million Afghan children face severe malnutrition, UN says

One million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, the United Nations warned on Aug. 25, 2026.

UNICEF, the UN children's agency, said 3.7 million Afghan children suffer from wasting, meaning acute malnutrition. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF's Afghanistan country representative, told reporters from Kabul that the one million children with severe acute malnutrition are at risk of dying without treatment and fast action.

Oyewale said nearly 40% of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications were babies under six months old. UNICEF said children under two make up more than 80% of severe acute malnutrition cases in Afghanistan.

More than 500,000 children have been admitted to hospital so far this year for high-risk, moderate and severe wasting, Oyewale said. UNICEF said July cases rose from about 6,000 in 2025 to more than 8,000 this year.

In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severely malnourished children for every available bed, Oyewale said.

Afghanistan has faced repeated hunger crises in recent decades. An economic collapse followed the Taliban government's return to power after US-led forces withdrew in 2021.