Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has warned of an alarming increase in the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in southern Afghanistan, saying many are arriving at hospitals in critical condition after delays in receiving treatment.
The medical charity said admissions of children with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications to its inpatient therapeutic feeding centers in southern Afghanistan rose by more than 30 percent between January and April compared with the same period over the previous three years. Most of the children admitted were younger than one year old.
“Children are reaching us far too late in the process, and they often present in critical condition with preventable medical complications,” Ana Lilia Banda, MSF’s medical coordinator in southern Afghanistan, said in a statement.
“This reflects not only worsening food insecurity, but also the breakdown of systems designed to detect and treat malnutrition at an early stage,” she said.
MSF said the increase in admissions points to a worsening humanitarian situation as international funding cuts, prolonged drought and economic hardship leave more families unable to meet basic nutritional needs.
According to the World Health Organization, reductions in international funding since early 2025 have led to the suspension or closure of 445 health facilities, including 203 mobile health and nutrition teams that had played a key role in identifying and treating malnutrition in communities before children became critically ill.
The charity also said recurring droughts have reduced agricultural production, while border closures linked to regional tensions have disrupted imports of therapeutic food and driven up food prices.
“Malnutrition is not only a medical issue but also a social issue,” Banda said.
“When mothers themselves do not have enough to eat, how are they expected to feed their babies? We are seeing many malnourished children less than one year of age, often accompanied by their mothers or caregivers who are also in need of care.”
The crisis has been particularly acute in Helmand and Kandahar, where MSF operates therapeutic feeding centers.
At Boost Provincial Hospital in Helmand, admissions reached a record monthly high during the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period over the previous five years. More than 1,500 children with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications were admitted between January and April—more than double the number recorded during the same period in 2022, MSF said.
In neighboring Kandahar province, MSF admitted more than 570 severely malnourished children during the same period and referred more than 300 additional patients to other health facilities because demand exceeded available capacity.
Although MSF said it has expanded nutrition services in both provinces, it warned that humanitarian assistance is failing to keep pace with growing needs.
The organization called on international donors, Afghan health authorities and humanitarian agencies to urgently restore funding for nutrition programs and ensure an uninterrupted supply of therapeutic food and essential medicines.
“Without immediate action,” MSF said, “the crisis risks worsening, leaving more children without access to the lifesaving care they urgently need.”
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The United Nations estimates that millions of people face acute food insecurity, while aid agencies have warned that declining international funding is forcing health facilities across the country to reduce or suspend essential services.
