The World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNFPA, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a joint call for urgent, coordinated global action to address a worsening malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan, particularly among children and women.

The statement warns that Afghanistan is among the 15 countries with the highest rates of "child wasting." Over 3.5 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including 1.4 million suffering from life-threatening conditions. Additionally, four in every ten women are undernourished.

This crisis is driven by severe food insecurity caused by economic instability and environmental disasters like drought. Around 9.8 million people face acute food shortages, and 2.1 million young children live in child food poverty, lacking access to a diverse and nutritious diet.