Afghanistan hit by starvation: 8,75,000 children hungry, malnourished

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Ever since the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the economy here has completely collapsed. Afghanistan has become one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. A recently released report on Afghanistan states that two-thirds of the country’s population is facing food insecurity.

8,75,000 children are severely malnourished

Malnutrition and starvation could kill thousands of children in Afghanistan in the coming days. People are suffering from hunger under the rule of Taliban. The Taliban administration there has reportedly banned women from working outside the home, deepening the crisis. TOLO News reported that the report said 875,000 children were facing severe malnutrition.

Two-thirds of the population faces food crisis

Two-thirds of the country’s population is facing a food crisis and 875,000 children are facing severe malnutrition. Women and girls are most at risk. According to a human rights report, millions of Afghans will starve to death due to a severe lack of international aid.

There is also a food crisis in these countries

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan was dire. Earlier, the World Bank had said in its report that Afghanistan is one of the seven countries which are facing catastrophic levels of food crisis. According to the report, the seven countries facing food crisis are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. These countries have the highest number of people facing food crisis since the Global Report on Food Crisis data was released in 2017.

Thousands of children may die of malnutrition this year

UNICEF has also warned that Afghanistan is facing a shortfall in food aid due to a sharp drop in international aid. In a video message on Twitter, Melanie Galvin, chief of nutrition for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said thousands of vulnerable children could die of severe malnutrition in Afghanistan this year alone.

There may also be a shortage of ready-to-use medical food.

Galvin further said that the World Food Organization is facing an immediate shortfall of USD 21 million to buy essential supplies to treat malnutrition and train health workers across the country. The organization is also facing a shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), he said.

Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises

As per the report, RUTF is considered as an essential readymade food supplement which can cure malnourished children. Years of struggle, poverty and a broken and charity-based economy have forced ordinary people to fall prey to food shortages. UNICEF in its report has highlighted that Afghanistan is one of the countries facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.