The number of dangerously malnourished children admitted to Save the Children’s mobile health clinics in Afghanistan has increased by 47% since January this year, with some babies dying before managing to receive any treatment, the children’s charity said on Monday.

Demand for malnutrition treatment services has surged in recent months as families struggle to cope with Afghanistan’s worst hunger crisis on record.

In January, Save the Children’s 57 mobile health teams admitted about 2,500 malnourished children for treatment. By September, that number had jumped to around 4,270 children admitted by 66 teams, according to newly released data.

Save the Children’s Country Director in Afghanistan, Chris Nyamandi, said:“Humanitarian organizations like Save the Children are stretched to the absolute limit trying to stop children dying from hunger every day in Afghanistan. But the truth is, with so many children facing life-threatening levels of hunger, we simply do not have the resources to save them all.

“Every day we’re faced with the heart-wrenching decision – which children do we save? It’s outrageous and horrifying to think that international leaders have the power to save these children’s lives – by working to solve the economic crisis and reinstating humanitarian funding and long-term development assistance that was withdrawn when the Taliban (IEA) retook control – but they have been too slow to find solutions and now children are dying as a result.

“Humanitarian organizations have been sounding the alarm on Afghanistan for more than a year now. It’s time the world stopped ignoring this catastrophic crisis and took action before many more children lose their lives.”

Experts had hoped to see a drop in hunger levels in Afghanistan during the recent summer harvest season, but the ongoing drought has led to failed crops and harvests have been much smaller than normal, forcing many rural families to sell land and livestock to buy food to feed their children.

The other major driver of the food crisis – the collapse of the country’s economy – has caused unemployment, poverty and food prices to skyrocket, with many families now only surviving on bread and water for weeks at a time.

Humanitarian organizations have provided vast amounts of life-saving food, but the needs are so high that 50% of Afghanistan’s population is still facing extreme hunger, with 6 million children and adults – nearly one eighth of the population – one step away from famine, the organization reported.

Save the Children doctors say they are overwhelmed with malnourished children – especially young girls who are often deprioritised.

Since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) regained control in August 2021, Save the Children has scaled up its response to support the increasing number of children in need and is delivering health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and livelihoods support.

Save the Children has reached more than 3.3 million people, including 1.8 million children since September 2021.