Nearly half of Afghanistan’s children are living in what UNICEF describes as “severe food poverty,” prompting the United Nations agency to unveil a sweeping new initiative aimed at combating child malnutrition through local food systems, education, and community engagement.
The initiative, known as First Foods Afghanistan, will run from 2025 to 2028 and is backed by the British government. It seeks to address the growing nutritional crisis facing young children in Afghanistan, where more than 3.5 million are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year alone. Nearly half of the country’s children under five are stunted, and over 50 percent of children aged 6–23 months consume just one or two food groups daily — a fraction of the five food groups recommended for healthy growth.
“Afghanistan’s children are facing a silent but devastating nutrition crisis,” said Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan. “This is not just about survival. It is about giving children the chance to thrive.”
A systems-based approach
Rather than focusing solely on medical services, First Foods Afghanistan emphasizes a community-based, food-first strategy. The initiative aims to increase the availability and affordability of nutritious, locally produced food — including fortified grains, legumes, vegetables, and proteins — by working through five key systems: food, health, social protection, water and sanitation, and community networks.
UNICEF will partner with local producers, mothers’ groups, religious leaders, and international institutions such as the World Bank, WFP, and WHO to create sustainable food environments. The plan includes scaling up the local production of therapeutic foods like RUTFs (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods), distributing micronutrient powders, and training 10,000 workers including nutrition counselors and community health volunteers.
“Ending food poverty requires more than just health services,” said Dr. Amir Yarparvar, UNICEF Afghanistan’s Chief of Nutrition. “We must build systems that deliver real food to real children — every single day.”
At the heart of the strategy is the empowerment of women and caregivers. The initiative includes technical and vocational education for women to learn about “nutrition on a budget,” and how to prepare affordable, balanced meals using locally available ingredients.
Home gardens, small-scale egg and fish production, and community kitchens will be introduced as practical tools to boost household nutrition and income, especially in rural areas hit hardest by poverty.
Climate and crisis-resilient
UNICEF says the program also addresses the growing threat of climate change on food systems. With Afghanistan experiencing increasingly frequent droughts and floods, First Foods Afghanistan promotes climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable diets as part of a longer-term strategy to reduce the country’s dependence on ultra-processed foods and imported staples.
According to UNICEF, Afghanistan ranks fourth globally for severe food poverty among children under five. Over 90 percent of Afghan children aged 6–23 months live in food poverty, and 66.9 percent of all children experience multidimensional poverty that includes poor access to health, nutrition, and education.
UNICEF says the initiative aims to directly reach 1.7 million children and 300,000 households, with an overall target of 4 million individuals across all 34 provinces. Monitoring systems will track food poverty trends in real time, helping humanitarian agencies respond faster and more effectively to future food insecurity.
“This is not a temporary fix,” said Ms. Andrea James, UNICEF’s Deputy Representative in Afghanistan. “First Foods Afghanistan is about building long-term resilience — so every Afghan child has the chance to grow up healthy, nourished, and hopeful.”
