Number of malnourished children on the rise

MONITORING (SW) – The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has expressed concern over the growing number of malnourished children in Afghanistan and warned of a humanitarian crisis in the country.

The committee said in a report that the number of malnourished children in Afghanistan had risen by about 30 percent in the past month.

The International Rescue Committee added that in November and December last year, the level of acute malnutrition increased 30-fold in Khost province and doubled in Herat province. The committee warns that if these children are not cared for in a timely and adequate manner, they are 11 times more likely to die than children of appropriate weight.

Donor countries’ halt in funding and freezing of Central Bank assets have created a major financial crisis for Afghanistan. A cash shortage means Afghans are running out of money while prices of basic items—from food to medicine—are skyrocketing. Afghanistan could see near universal poverty by mid-2022, with 97% of Afghans impoverished, according to the United Nations.

Unaddressed, this economic crisis will drive up humanitarian needs, from food insecurity and malnutrition to health crises. Humanitarian organizations operating in Afghanistan are not spared from the economic crisis; cash is needed to pay staff and suppliers, purchase items and provide cash programs for the most vulnerable.

Afghanistan is nearing the breakdown of virtually the entire health system and other basic services, jeopardizing the wellbeing of millions of Afghans.

For the past two decades, Afghanistan has been highly dependent on foreign funding to pay civil servants like health workers and teachers and operate essential public services. The previous government had relied on foreign funds for around 75% of its public spending.

In particular, around 30 million Afghans depended on health services through a World Bank-managed program. Now, over 90% of the country’s health clinics are expected to shut down, depriving millions of basic care, threatening the COVID-19 response and creating a major risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition and preventable deaths.

ENDS

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