HALF OF AFGHAN CHILDREN UNDER 5 TO SUFFER FROM ACUTE MALNUTRITION

Tue 05 October 2021:

Hervé Ludovic De Lys, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, and Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Afghanistan Representative and Country Director, both raised the alarm about the terrible situation of malnutrition and food insecurity sweeping the country.

Afghan children and their families are facing the price of years of violence and the present economic crisis due to a lack of reliable access to water, food, and basic health and nutrition services.

“14 million people in Afghanistan are facing acute food insecurity, and an estimated 3.2 million children under the age of five expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of the year,” UNICEF said in a press release. “At least 1 million of these children are at risk of dying due to severe acute malnutrition without immediate treatment.”

The agency’s comments come following a two-day visit to Herat by UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Herve Ludovic De Lys and World Food Program Afghanistan Country Director Mary-Ellen McGroarty.

UNICEF explained that without reliable access to water, food and basic health and nutrition services, Afghan children and their families are bearing the brunt of years of conflict and the current economic crisis.

“With winter fast approaching, it is now a race against time to assist Afghan families also lacking access to safe water and health and nutrition services,” the release said.

UNICEF noted that surveys estimate 95 per cent of households in Afghanistan are not consuming enough food, while adults are eating less and even skipping meals to have their children eat more.

McGroarty and De Lys visited a food distribution centre in Herat as well as a settlement for internally displaced families, the release said.

“The two UN agencies are adding 100 more mobile health and nutrition teams. Already 168 mobile teams are providing a lifeline for children and mothers in hard-to-reach areas,” the release added.

Photo Courtesy: Khamma Press

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