1.1 million Afghan children will face acute malnutrition, warns UN -

Islamabad: The Russia-Ukraine conflict has pushed up food prices worldwide. Like the developing countries, the West is facing a food crisis. But the UN has warned that the biggest impact of this is on Afghanistan and the food shortages here have become severe. This year, 1.1 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan will face acute malnutrition, the UN has warned.

After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year, the United Nations and Western nations warned that the Afghan people would face severe starvation. At the same time, the United States, European countries and United Nations announced immediate financial and other assistance for the Afghan people. But a new United Nations report says the problem of starvation among Afghans is not over.

Moreover, poverty and unemployment are on the rise in Afghanistan. According to a United Nations report, the conflict in Ukraine has also cut off some international aid to Afghanistan. This has led to a starvation crisis in front of Afghan families who depend on international aid. According to a UNICEF report, 1.1 million Afghan children under the age of five could face acute malnutrition this year.

Furthermore, the report cited the number of malnourished children in Afghanistan has doubled compared to 2018. UNICEF noted the number of children admitted to the hospitals in Afghanistan in March for this purpose. In March 2020, 16,000 malnourished children under the age of five had to be admitted to Afghan hospitals. Last year it was 18,000. UNICEF expressed serious concern that such malnourished children have crossed 28,000 this year.

Meanwhile, a major political change in Afghanistan has become imperative to solve the problem of growing malnutrition in Afghanistan. Otherwise, the UN warns that the country’s malnutrition and food crisis will escalate in the coming days.