Approximately 6.5 Million Children in Afghanistan to Face Critical Hunger

The NGO 'Save the Children' predicted in a report that about 6.5 million children in Afghanistan will experience critical levels of hunger in 2024. In a report published on Tuesday, May 29, it stated that nearly 3 out of every 10 Afghan children will face a crisis or emergency levels of hunger this year. The organization further emphasized that, according to statistics, approximately 2.9 million children under five years old are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2024. According to Arshad Malik, the director of this organization in Afghanistan, they have managed to treat 7,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition so far, indicating the extent of the crisis in the country. The World Food Program has reported that malnutrition in Afghanistan has reached its highest record. The Global Hunger Monitoring Organization also predicts that 28% of Afghanistan's population, around 12.4 million people, will face severe food insecurity before October. 'Save the Children' forecasts that of this number, nearly 2.4 million people will experience emergency levels of hunger, which is one level above famine. The report notes that these figures show a slight improvement compared to the last report published in October 2023, yet it emphasizes the ongoing need for assistance, as poverty affects one in every two citizens of Afghanistan. This civil organization attributes the increasing hunger crisis in the country to the immediate impacts of flooding in Afghanistan, the long-term effects of drought, and the return of citizens from Pakistan and Iran. Previously, the World Food Program announced that it needs $760 million in funding to continue its aid efforts in Afghanistan in the second half of 2024.