KABUL — The World Food Program said it has been forced to reduce its malnutrition treatment programs in Afghanistan by 60 percent due to a lack of funding, leaving 1.7 million women and children without critical care.
In a report released Tuesday, the UN agency warned that the cuts come amid intensifying economic hardship and worsening food insecurity, pushing malnutrition rates in the country to record highs.
“Malnutrition has become one of the most urgent humanitarian crises in Afghanistan,” the report stated. “Millions of people, particularly women and children, are being deprived of life-saving treatment.”
The WFP cited shrinking donor contributions as the primary reason for scaling back both food and therapeutic aid programs, especially in remote and underserved areas. The reduction, it said, is already being felt acutely across rural regions where families struggle to access even basic health services.
Pregnant women and children under five are the most at risk, facing heightened vulnerability to illness and death linked to nutritional deficiencies, the agency said.
“If current conditions persist, malnutrition rates could climb sharply in the coming months,” the report warned, adding that the strain on Afghanistan’s fragile health system may deepen without urgent international support.
The funding gap, exacerbated by political upheaval and declining global humanitarian engagement, has led to broader disruptions in health and nutrition services across the country. In rural districts with little infrastructure, many families can no longer meet their basic food needs.
WFP and other humanitarian agencies are seeking to reallocate limited resources to the most critical areas, but the agency acknowledged that these efforts fall short of the scale of need.
“To prevent further deterioration, increased global cooperation and funding are essential,” the report concluded, calling for renewed international commitment to avert a broader health and nutrition catastrophe.
