How clinic closures left 3.7 million Afghan children acutely malnourished

New research from Save the Children has found that one in 10 infants and very young children in Afghanistan is now suffering from acute malnourishment.

Acute malnutrition refers to a sudden and severe drop in weight or nutritional health over a short period of time.

The number of children at risk of malnutrition in Afghanistan is on the rise as essential health services close due to a lack of healthcare funding, the aid agency said on Thursday.

We break down why Afghanistan is facing a child malnourishment crisis.

The United Kingdom-based Save the Children said United Nations figures show that malnutrition among young children in Afghanistan is increasing. Nearly one in 10 Afghan children below the age of five is now in a state of malnutrition, and the proportion of children affected is rising, not stabilising.

The agency added that the figures show that levels of acute malnutrition had worsened in two-thirds of provinces in the second quarter of 2026, compared with the same period last year.

Over the past four years, Save the Children said, acute malnutrition in children below five has surged by 14 percent, now affecting 3.7 million children in 2026.

Acute malnourishment, also referred to as wasting, is a life-threatening condition where a child is dangerously underweight for their height.