Afghanistan's food crisis: UN says could have helped millions more children

A UN official said that if it weren't for the conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as the war in Iran, the UN could have provided food assistance to an additional 1 million children at risk of malnutrition in Afghanistan.

AFP reported that in 2025, Afghanistan experienced a deadly earthquake, climate disasters, and millions of Afghans who had been expelled by Iran and Pakistan returned home. As a result, the number of malnourished cases in Afghanistan reached an all-time high.

The deputy executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Scott, said: "Afghanistan is facing a nutrition crisis. The sharp increase in malnutrition cases last year was the most severe we have ever seen. This year it is even worse."

The World Food Programme estimated in January this year that among the over 40 million people in Afghanistan, 5 million women and children will face life-threatening malnutrition this year.

The ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and its neighboring country Pakistan has led to the border being almost completely closed for nearly eight months; coupled with the global economic impact caused by the war in Iran, food and fuel prices have soared, disrupting the supply chain necessary for transportation.

Scow said, "If we hadn't faced difficulties in the supply chain, including delays and costs, we could have fed an additional 1 million children in Afghanistan."

Furthermore, the fundraising efforts have been extremely challenging. This year, the World Food Programme was only able to raise 8% of the target amount for Afghanistan.