Save the Children says 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are acutely malnourished as healthcare funding falls, according to Al Jazeera.
Key facts
- An estimated 3.7 million Afghan children are acutely malnourished, according to Save the Children.
- The organisation says one in 10 children in Afghanistan are suffering.
- Al Jazeera reports the situation is linked to falling healthcare funding.
- Al Jazeera's report references clinic closures in connection with the crisis.
An estimated 3.7 million children in Afghanistan — around one in 10 — are acutely malnourished as healthcare funding falls, Save the Children says, according to reporting by Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera’s report connects the crisis to plummeting healthcare funding and clinic closures. Further detail on the causes, timeframe and specific figures was not available in the material reviewed.
This is a developing situation, and the sources reviewed do not provide a full breakdown of how the estimate was reached or the extent of the clinic closures involved.
Why it matters
Acute malnutrition among millions of children poses immediate and long-term risks to their health. According to the reporting, the figure is linked to declining healthcare funding, indicating how funding shortfalls can affect vulnerable populations at scale.
Frequently asked questions
How many Afghan children are acutely malnourished?
Save the Children estimates that 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are acutely malnourished, meaning nearly four million are affected.
What proportion of children in Afghanistan are affected?
According to Save the Children, one in 10 children in Afghanistan are suffering.
What is causing the crisis?
The reporting attributes the situation to plummeting healthcare funding and the closure of clinics.

