Afghanistan To Face Sharp Rise In Acute Malnutrition In 2027

(MENAFN- 3BL) October 19, 2026 /3BL/ - With over 4 million children projected to be in need of urgent Treatment. Of these, more than 1 million children are expected to suffer from the most severe form of malnutrition.

UNICEF and Action Against Hunger, chair and co-chair of the Afghanistan Nutrition Cluster, warned today that acute malnutrition is worsening across Afghanistan, with over 4 million children expected to require treatment in 2027, the highest number recorded in the past five years.

The latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) for Acute Malnutrition, released today, shows the situation next year is expected to worsen. The number of provinces facing critical levels of malnutrition has increased from 7 in 2025 to 10 in 2026 and is projected to reach 14 in 2027 - more than one-third of Afghanistan's provinces. The 2027 prediction reflects the impact of a seasonal rise in malnutrition, as well as an anticipated funding cliff that could reduce access to preventive nutrition services and disrupt life-saving treatment for children who need it most.

The IPC analysis shows that the most severe form of acute malnutrition is also rising fastest. An estimated 1.09 million children are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2027, a 16 per cent increase from 2026, while nearly 3 million children are expected to experience moderate acute malnutrition. Behind these figures are children at greater risk of illness, developmental delays and, in the most severe cases, death if treatment is not available. Nearly 1.3 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are expected to suffer from malnutrition in the same period.

Multiple factors are driving this worsening crisis. For too many families, putting nutritious food on the table and accessing safe water is becoming harder. Only one in three children aged 6 to 24 months currently gets the right combonation of nutritious foods to support their healthy growth and development.

Meanwhile, recurrent outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea, measles and other preventable illnesses are increasing the risks, while nearly half of households in Afghanistan struggle to access adequate and safe water.

Cross-border disruptions have also affected the availability of essential nutrition supplies, placing additional pressure on an already overstretched response, and delaying children's access to life-saving nutrition commodities.

Some of the highest levels of acute malnutrition continue to be recorded in the South, where growing needs are outpacing the services available to families, leaving children and pregnant and breastfeeding women increasingly vulnerable.

The Nutrition Cluster warns that without urgent and sustained funding, acute malnutrition will likely worsen further. Immediate investment is needed to maintain life-saving food, nutrition and health services, alongside safe water, sanitation and livelihood support, to meet immediate needs while addressing the underlying drivers of malnutrition.

Timely funding now can prevent further deterioration, protect essential services, and reduce the human and financial cost of responding later.

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