Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called for greater efforts to tackle child malnutrition, saying access to education for both girls and boys is essential to preventing the growing crisis.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Karzai cited a recent UNICEF report warning that about 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan are at increasing risk of malnutrition. He urged the relevant authorities and international organizations to take serious and comprehensive measures to curb the crisis and protect children’s health.

Karzai said safeguarding children’s health, as the country’s future human capital, requires coordinated action by responsible institutions and international partners.

He also said providing education for all children and young people, regardless of gender, is a fundamental condition for preventing malnutrition. Expanding access to education and developing a skilled workforce, he added, would help reduce the effects of illiteracy, improve

Afghanistan’s economy, and enable the country to meet its needs without relying on foreign assistance.

Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Wednesday to convey condolences from the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) following the death of former Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Afghan Foreign Ministry said.

Muttaqi also held talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, and Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, the ministry said in a statement.

During the meetings, Muttaqi extended condolences to the Qatari officials over the death of the former emir.

Residents of Pamir in northeastern Badakhshan province have called on authorities to establish a standard high school with boarding facilities to improve access to education for children in the remote region.

Local residents said that while several development and infrastructure projects have been implemented in Pamir in recent years, the lack of a well-equipped boarding school remains one of their main concerns.

They said long distances between villages, difficult mountainous roads and rising water levels in local lakes have made it difficult for many children to attend school regularly.

Residents of Wakhan’s Pamir-e-Kochak area said some communities are located several hours away from existing schools, with students often required to travel long distances by horse due to challenging terrain.

A 12-year-old child from the region said he dreams of attending school but cannot continue his education because of the distance and transportation challenges.

Community elders said Pamir-e-Kochak currently has eight local councils, while the three existing middle schools face shortages of facilities and teachers, making it difficult to provide quality education for students at different levels.

Mullah Abdul Haq, the district governor of the newly established Pamir district, said establishing a boarding school for high school students is one of the key demands of local residents.

He added that the issue has been shared several times with the Badakhshan Education Directorate. He said he hoped that the request would be addressed in the coming year.

Residents say a boarding school would help hundreds of children from remote areas continue their education and gain better learning opportunities.