KABUL — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 213 children under the age of five in Afghanistan received life-saving treatment for malnutrition in January.
Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, highlighted the urgency of the crisis during a visit to a malnutrition treatment center in Helmand province. “Every child deserves a healthy start in life,” he said.
According to UNICEF, the Asian Development Bank is supporting malnutrition treatment programs in Afghanistan. The agency previously announced plans to provide therapeutic food to 475,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition across the country.
Reports indicate that in the past six months, 700 children in Nangarhar province have died due to malnutrition and seasonal diseases.
Meanwhile, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that a decline in international aid could further worsen conditions for Afghan children.
According to OCHA estimates, the number of malnourished children in Afghanistan could reach 3.5 million by 2025.