UNICEF reports that 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a form of acute malnutrition. This means they have dangerously low body weight for their age. About one million children have severe acute malnutrition that can threaten their lives. Nearly 40 per cent of hospital patients with severe wasting and medical complications are babies under six months old.
Children under two make up 83 per cent of severe acute malnutrition cases. Hospitals in Afghanistan are struggling to meet the demand for care. UNICEF is calling for urgent support for nutrition treatment and health services. It also calls for support for safe water and measures that help families protect young children. These services are part of the urgent response requested by UNICEF. The figures show how strongly the crisis affects the youngest children.