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UN warns child malnutrition is rising in Afghanistan as OCHA briefing set to follow
Summary
UN advisers flagged a sharp rise in child food insecurity in Afghanistan and said nearly 3.7 million children could suffer acute malnutrition this year; OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherefko was introduced to brief from Kabul.
Farhan, speaking for the United Nations press briefing, said the World Food Programme reported that child food insecurity rose to affect 47% of the population in the first quarter of the year and that nearly 3,700,000 children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
"WFP said that child food insecurity rose to impact 47 percent of the population in the 1st 0.25 of this year," Farhan said, and he added that 1,200,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are also expected to be malnourished. He cited colliding crises — conflict, unemployment, higher food prices and reduced humanitarian funding — and noted supply disruptions, including a nine‑month closure of the Pakistan border, that have hampered nutrition programs.
The briefing introduced Olga Cherefko, identified in the agenda as the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, who was expected to join virtually from Kabul to provide further detail. Farhan stressed that without immediate investment these figures are set to rise and that humanitarian partners were urging sustained funding to preserve life‑saving food and nutrition services.
