Over 47,000 Afghan children and mothers at risk of acute malnutrition in earthquake-hit regions

The international humanitarian organization Save the Children has issued an urgent warning that more than 47,000 children and mothers in eastern Afghanistan are at serious risk of acute malnutrition following the devastating August 31 earthquake that struck the region, with Kunar province at its epicenter.

According to the report, around 37,000 children under the age of five and nearly 10,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in the earthquake-affected areas are facing severe nutritional crises.

The disaster, which claimed over 2,200 lives—including approximately 750 children—has compounded an already fragile humanitarian situation in the region.

The earthquake caused substantial damage to numerous health facilities—many of which had already been closed or operating at reduced capacity due to funding cuts. This has critically limited access to essential medical and nutritional services for thousands of vulnerable families.

Save the Children estimates that over 91,000 people in the impacted regions are in urgent need of food assistance. Nationwide, around 422 health centers have been shut down or suspended due to budget shortages, affecting access to life-saving care for nearly three million Afghans.

“Child malnutrition is already a national emergency in Afghanistan,” said Samira Saeed Rahman, a senior official with Save the Children. “This earthquake has deepened the crisis, and the reduction in funding means fewer resources for food and healthcare for children and their families.”

The organization is calling for immediate international support to prevent a looming humanitarian catastrophe, as nearly 5 million Afghan children are currently suffering from severe food insecurity, according to global aid agencies.