UNICEF says over 4 million Afghan children will need malnutrition treatment next year

25 October 2026

UNICEF and Action Against Hunger have said that over 4 million children in Afghanistan are expected to need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027, the highest number in five years. The number of provinces with critical malnutrition levels rose from 7 in 2025 to 10 in 2026 and is projected to reach 14 in 2027, more than a third of Afghanistan's provinces. About 1.09 million children are projected to have severe acute malnutrition in 2027, a 16 per cent increase over 2026, and nearly 3 million are expected to have moderate acute malnutrition. Nearly 1.3 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are expected to be malnourished. Only one in three children aged 6 to 24 months receives the right mix of nutritious foods, and nearly half of Afghan households struggle to access adequate and safe water. The projections come from the Integrated Phase Classification for Acute Malnutrition. UNICEF chairs the Afghanistan Nutrition Cluster and Action Against Hunger co-chairs it.