(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) KABUL - The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) has saidthat children suffering from the most serious form of malnutrition may die inAfghanistan, unless $7 million in funding is found within weeks.
Speaking in Geneva, UN Children's Fund spokesperson Christophe Boulierac,likened the humanitarian situation in the war-torn country to 'one of the worstdisasters on earth.
He warned that increased violence and last year's severe drought had lefthundreds of thousands of under-fives, critically vulnerable in the west andnorth of the country.
'There are two million children in the country which suffer from acutemalnutrition, among them 600,000 children that suffer from severe acutemalnutrition, he said. 'A child that suffers from acute severe malnutrition isa child that needs urgent treatment, otherwise he might die.
While Afghanistan's nutrition crisis is mirrored in many othertrouble-spots around the world – from South Sudan to Yemen and the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC) - the UNICEF Spokesperson underlined the dangers,if funding is not found soon.
'We are the sole provider of treatment for severe acute malnutrition, Mr.Boulierac said, noting that the number of youngsters suffering from thecondition had remained 'stagnant for years. 'If we don't have money to buythis treatment, the severely acute malnourished will not get it.
The development comes amid ongoing insecurity linked to four decades ofconflict in Afghanistan, where UNICEF distributes supplies to health facilitiesacross all 34 provinces.
According to the agency, 3.8 million children need protection andassistance this year, while nearly 289,000 people were displaced by violence in2018. In addition, one in three children has experienced psychologicaldistress, linked to the 'constant risk of death or injury, UNICEF believes.
Existing funding shortages have meant that fewer than one in two of themost vulnerable children received life-saving help in UN-supported healthclinics across Afghanistan in 2018.
'This year in 2019, we would like to reach 60 per cent (of children) - noteven 100 per cent - but we cannot, Mr. Boulierac explained, 'and it isextremely worrying. If we do not get $7 million dollars in three weeks, 1,300facilities all over the country will not get this treatment.
To meet Afghanistan's essential nutrition requirements in 2019, UNICEFneeds $26 million, but it has so far only received half of this amount.
'We cannot tell you how many children will die; but we can tell you that achild with severe acute malnutrition is 11 times more likely to die than theirhealthy peers, he explained, noting that malnutrition reduces people'sresistance to disease.
This is a particular concern in Afghanistan, where only one in two childrenhas been vaccinated, the UNICEF spokesperson added. (Pajhwok)
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