KABUL, Afghanistan — Save the Children has announced that it will suspend its malnutrition support programs in Afghanistan within 30 days due to severe cuts in foreign aid, leaving thousands of vulnerable children without critical healthcare.
The organization warned that 18 of its supported health centers in Afghanistan have already shut down, while the remaining 14 will be forced to close within a month unless new funding is secured. In January alone, these 32 clinics provided treatment to over 134,000 malnourished children.
“Our clinic is the only option for this community. There is no local doctor or nurse here,” said Dr. Hanif*, a health worker at a Save the Children-supported clinic in northern Afghanistan. “At present, we have 135 malnourished children under treatment. If the clinic shuts down, their families will not be able to afford transportation to the nearest medical facility.”
He added that doctors and nurses have pledged to continue working for four to five months without pay to ensure children receive care.
Global aid cuts impacting millions
The crisis in Afghanistan is part of a broader funding shortfall affecting humanitarian programs worldwide. According to Save the Children, recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid have affected at least 40 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, threatening essential health, nutrition, and education programs.
“With more children in need of aid than ever before, cutting off lifesaving support now is like trying to extinguish a wildfire with a hose that’s running out of water,” said Gabriella Waaijman, Chief Operating Officer at Save the Children International.
Every minute, 35 children are born into hunger, the organization said, warning that economic instability, conflict, and climate shocks are fueling a global malnutrition crisis. Children suffering from malnutrition are 11 times more likely to die from common childhood illnesses.
The aid cuts are also affecting critical programs in other conflict-hit regions. In Gaza, where nearly all 1.1 million children face food insecurity, funding shortfalls have led to the closure of 10 mother-baby nutrition centers. In Somalia, Save the Children will be forced to close 121 health and nutrition sites, cutting off support for over 250,000 people.
The organization is calling on world leaders to reinvest in children’s healthcare and ensure long-term solutions to address the worsening humanitarian crisis.
“Investing in children today creates a safer, brighter, and more stable world for us all,” the statement read. “This is not just about funding—it is about defending the core values of humanitarian aid.”
The suspension of malnutrition programs in Afghanistan underscores the growing humanitarian crisis in the country, where aid-dependent health services have been steadily declining since the Taliban takeover in 2021.
