An alarming report by Save The Children has revealed that approximately 6.5 million children in Afghanistan are expected to endure crisis levels of hunger in 2024. The dire situation is exacerbated by a combination of factors including floods, drought, and the return of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries.
The report highlights that nearly 3 out of 10 Afghan children will confront crisis or emergency levels of hunger this year. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification estimates that 28% of Afghanistan's population, around 12.4 million individuals, will experience acute food insecurity by October. Shockingly, nearly 2.4 million people are predicted to face emergency levels of hunger, just one step below famine.
Despite a slight improvement from the previous report, poverty continues to impact half of the population, emphasizing the ongoing need for assistance. Recent natural disasters, such as torrential rain and flash floods in northern Afghanistan, have further exacerbated the situation, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of homes, and damage to farmland.
Save the Children has been actively responding to the crisis, operating a mobile clinic in Baghlan province, one of the worst-hit areas. The organization estimates that approximately 2.9 million children under the age of 5 are at risk of acute malnutrition in 2024. So far, over 7,000 children have been treated for severe malnutrition.
The return of more than 1.4 million Afghans from Pakistan and Iran, coupled with years of drought and high unemployment rates, has further strained resources and deepened the humanitarian crisis. Save the Children stresses the urgent need for long-term, community-based solutions to help families rebuild their lives.
Despite the escalating needs, only 16% of the required funding for the 2024 humanitarian response plan has been met. Save the Children urges the international community not to turn a blind eye to the unfolding crisis.
In a positive development, the European Union has allocated an additional 10 million euros to the U.N. food agency for school feeding activities in Afghanistan. This funding will support the World Food Program's school meal program, ensuring that more children receive nutritious food and have access to education.
The WFP plans to utilize the funds to provide fortified biscuits and nutritious snacks to pupils in over 10,000 schools across eight provinces in Afghanistan. Last year, the program supported 1.5 million school-age children, highlighting the critical role of such initiatives in combating hunger and promoting education.
