Editor's note: this story was translated from the original VOA Dari article.
The United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF is warning that more than four million Afghan children could need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027. That is the highest number recorded in the past five years, highlighting the scale of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The warning comes after the release of the latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) for Acute Malnutrition on October 15. The IPC is a partnership between U.N. agencies and aid groups.
The new assessment says acute malnutrition is worsening across the country and is expected to rise further next year. It warns the number of Afghan provinces facing critical levels of malnutrition has increased from seven in 2025 to 10 in 2026 and is projected to reach 14 provinces in 2027, affecting more than one-third of the country.
UNICEF points to the new assessment numbers showing that nearly 1.1 million Afghan children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2027. That is a 16 percent increase compared with 2026. The assessment reports that three million other children are expected to experience moderate acute malnutrition, while about 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also projected to suffer from malnutrition.
Humanitarian agencies say the crisis is being fueled by multiple factors, including worsening food insecurity, limited access to clean water, disease outbreaks, and funding shortfalls. Only one in three Afghan children between the ages of six and 24 months receives the minimum acceptable diet needed for healthy growth and development, according to UNICEF. Nearly half of Afghan households also struggle to obtain adequate and safe water supplies.
In the press release, UNICEF noted that Some of the most severe levels of malnutrition continue to be recorded in southern Afghanistan, and that humanitarian needs are outpacing available services.
Following a recent visit to Helmand province, Cobi Rietveld, country director for global nonprofit Action Against Hunger, said nutrition programs are under growing strain.
“Treating severe malnutrition saves children’s lives and remains essential, but we should not wait until a child is fighting for their life before acting,” Rietveld said. “Real success is measured by how many children we can prevent from becoming severely malnourished in the first place.”
The warning comes as Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies, with U.N. agencies warning that without urgent financial support, the country’s malnutrition crisis is likely to deteriorate further.
UNICEF and its partners are calling for immediate and sustained investment in nutrition, health, water and sanitation services, arguing that early intervention can help prevent severe malnutrition, save lives and reduce the long-term humanitarian and economic costs of the crisis.