The UNICEF Representative for Afghanistan, Tajudeen Oyewale, has said that approximately 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition, with nearly one million of them at high risk of death.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, Oyewale said the malnutrition situation in Afghanistan is a matter of serious concern.
According to him, nearly 40 percent of children hospitalized for malnutrition are under six months old, while 83 percent are under the age of two. He said these figures indicate that the malnutrition crisis is disproportionately affecting the youngest children.
The UNICEF official added that more than half a million children have been hospitalized for malnutrition treatment since the beginning of this year.
Oyewale expressed particular concern about the capacity of treatment centers in Afghanistan’s southern provinces, saying that in some facilities, three or four children are being accommodated in a single bed.
The UNICEF representative for Afghanistan also said that funding shortages have negatively affected child nutrition and treatment programs, and that several nutrition and health centers have been forced to close due to budget cuts.
According to him, Afghanistan’s nutrition sector is currently facing a 57 percent funding shortfall, while UNICEF’s nutrition program has received only 22 percent of the funding it requires.
Various United Nations agencies have previously expressed concern over rising levels of hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan and called on the international community to increase financial assistance to help prevent the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
