The findings of the report show that more than 250 children are suffering from malnutrition in six villages of Gurziwan District in Faryab Province. According to the report, there are no health clinics in these villages, and residents are suffering from extreme poverty and chronic unemployment. In addition, many pregnant women suffer from anemia, and proper spacing between births is not observed. Some women have become pregnant again just 40 days after giving birth. These factors, along with poverty, limited access to health services, and insufficient awareness about nutrition, may contribute to the rise in malnutrition cases among children. Earlier, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had warned that more than four million children in Afghanistan are projected to need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027, and that more than one million children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
According to the report, the highest numbers of malnutrition cases among children have been recorded in the villages of Badgah, Kaikawus, Abparan, Murghabi, Ghalbian, and Abbarik. Malnourished children in these villages have no access to health facilities, and their families lack sufficient awareness about the causes of malnutrition and ways to prevent it.
Health sources say that consecutive pregnancies and short intervals between births are among the factors behind the rise in malnutrition among children. They stress that some women have become pregnant again even 40 days after giving birth.
A credible source says: “The situation of the people is very bad. In most areas there is no clinic, and the roads are in very poor condition. In Kaikawus village, a large number of children are suffering from malnutrition. Likewise, most pregnant women in these areas suffer from anemia.”
The source adds: “Poverty, a low level of awareness, and mothers not breastfeeding their children are among the factors behind the increase in this disease. Some mothers have become pregnant again before 40 days had passed since their delivery. Mothers do not have proper nutrition and do not have access to necessary facilities, which is why many children are suffering from malnutrition.”
The findings of the report also show that most mothers of malnourished children are between 16 and 20 years old. Because of their young age, these mothers face problems during pregnancy and after childbirth, including in the area of breastfeeding.
According to the report, there are no health clinics in the villages of Kaikawus, Abbarik, Abparan, Ghalbian, and Darehshakh, and the number of malnourished children in these villages is high.
A credible health source says: “In Kaikawus village alone, I saw 25 malnourished children in a single day. The number of malnourished children in this village may be higher than this.”
Residents of a number of villages in Gurziwan District are concerned about continued poverty and unemployment, the poor condition of the roads, the lack of job opportunities, and the lack of access to health services. They say that many people have no access to the most basic health facilities and face serious difficulties in their daily lives.
In the most recent case, UNICEF and Action Against Hunger (ACF) have warned that more than four million children in Afghanistan are projected to need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027. According to the report by the two organizations, more than one million children may also suffer from severe acute malnutrition. According to UNICEF, this figure represents a 16 percent increase compared with 2026. In addition, nearly three million children are projected to suffer from moderate acute malnutrition. According to the report, the number of provinces facing critical levels of malnutrition may rise from 10 provinces to 14 provinces in 2027.
Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO), in its assessment of Afghanistan’s health situation, had reported that in 2026, about 3.7 million children under the age of five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women would face acute malnutrition. The organization had cited poverty, weak health infrastructure, a lack of investment, and a decline in international aid as factors worsening the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Likewise, UNICEF said in another report that about 90 percent of children under the age of two in Afghanistan face food poverty, and nearly half of them are in a state of severe food poverty. According to the organization, these children do not receive sufficient dietary diversity, and many of them are fed from only one or two food groups.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has also stated in several reports that in 2026, about 3.7 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan will face acute malnutrition. The organization considers poverty, unemployment, rising food prices, a decline in humanitarian aid, and disruptions to aid delivery routes as factors worsening this crisis.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
گرزیوان فاریاب؛ بیش از ۲۵۰ کودک در شش روستا با سوءتغذیه دستوپنجه نرم میکنند
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