Daijiworld Media Network - Kabul

Kabul, Dec 11: UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has sounded an alarming warning over Afghanistan’s deepening malnutrition crisis, telling the UN Security Council on Wednesday that 1.7 million Afghan children are now at risk of dying due to severe hunger. Calling the situation “shocking,” he said food insecurity has sharply worsened this winter, with many critical aid deliveries halted and 1.1 million children cut off from essential assistance, according to Afghanistan’s Khaama Press.

Fletcher reported that 303 nutrition centres have been forced to close because of funding shortages, leaving countless malnourished children without life-saving emergency care. He stressed that lifting restrictions on women and girls is vital for humanitarian operations to function effectively. The Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working for the UN, he said, is “unacceptable” and is severely undermining essential aid services. Fletcher urged the global community to step in with more financial support to prevent further collapse of relief programmes.

The crisis is worsening as winter grips the country. On December 7, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that Afghanistan faces rapidly rising hunger levels, with malnutrition among children and women potentially reaching heights “not seen in recent years.” WFP Executive Director Carl Skau said the agency has had to slash its assistance from 10 million people to just two million due to funding gaps, leaving millions exposed to life-threatening hunger and harsh winter conditions.

The broader picture is dire. The UN has previously estimated that 3.5 million Afghan children under five suffer from acute malnutrition. Aid workers say Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most food-insecure countries, with ongoing drought, economic collapse, and operational restrictions on humanitarian agencies compounding the emergency.