Nearly 3.5 million children, aged 6 to 59 months, are suffering or projected to suffer acute malnutrition between June 2024 and May 2025 and require urgent interventions, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The provinces with the highest number of malnourished children between June 2024 and May 2025 are Kabul, Hilmand, Nangarhar, Hirat and Kandahar, which together account for nearly 42 percent of the country’s total malnutrition caseload. INTERSOS is dedicated to helping these vulnerable children regain their health and stability, particularly in the most remote areas where health facilities are scarce yet desperately needed.
In the Babaqoshqar health facility, a secluded area in Kabul surrounded by numerous brick kilns and afflicted by pollution, we encountered Palwash and her three-year-old son, Mohammad. Mohammad is on the verge of overcoming severe acute malnutrition, thanks to the collective efforts made by Intersos staff in these challenging circumstances.
Mohammad’s mother, when asked about the reasons behind her child’s malnutrition and whether any of her other children were facing similar challenges replied: “This is my third child experiencing malnutrition. I have a small daughter, a bit younger than Mohammad, who is also battling severe acute malnutrition.” She continued: “We don’t have an adequate income to provide proper nutrition for our children or to care for ourselves during pregnancy.”
The father works in the local brick kilns, earning a seasonal wage of 2,000 AFN (approximately $29) per week. With a household of nine to support, this income is insufficient to provide three meals a day. Winter exacerbates their struggles, as the factories close during the cold months, leaving Mohammad’s father without work and their family in an even more precarious situation.
With the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, INTERSOS has equipped the Babaqoshqar Health Facility, along with many others, with professional healthcare staff and essential medicines. This enables them to identify malnutrition cases, take timely action, and consistently monitor the conditions of the people we assist, until they have fully recovered.
Mohammad is one of the many children across the country who has benefitted from this treatment. Only in 2024, we have admitted 2.698 children under 5 for Severe Acute Malnutrition, 2.821 children under 5 for Moderate Acute Malnutrition and 3.388 pregnant and lactating women for Acute Malnutrition. But we do not stop here: our health advisors also conduct training sessions for families on family planning and reproductive health. These sessions provide essential information to empower the people we assist to make informed decisions about their health. We focus on dispelling myths and fostering open communication about these topics, encouraging questions to promote understanding.
By providing families practical knowledge and skills, we aim to improve health outcomes and ensure a healthier future for both parents and children in the communities we serve.