With more than 15 million people in Afghanistan experiencing acute food insecurity, women and children are facing the brunt of this harsh reality. Afghanistan is among the most dangerous countries for babies, children and mothers, with soaring rates of malnutrition and access to health care beyond reach for many.

Causes of the Afghan Food Crisis

The high levels of food instability in Afghanistan are driven primarily by a fragile economy, exacerbated by sociopolitical turmoil and environmental disasters. These disasters have recently had an especially severe impact on food security, as about 80% of Afghanistan’s population consists of farmers who rely on their own production for sustenance and income. Because of environmental instability, harvests are often lost or missed due to displacement, leaving markets empty.

Social mores and low health literacy also hinder women’s access to and understanding of proper nutrition for themselves and their children. Taliban restrictions on women’s education and mobility have severely curtailed their access to care. Additionally, increased poverty means that many women, especially pregnant women, are unable to utilize health care services such as perinatal visits.

Women are also unable to travel without being escorted by a male relative, hindering their access to pre- and postnatal care. The systematic stripping of women’s autonomy in Afghanistan means that malnutrition is having disastrous consequences for pregnant women, mothers and their children. On top of these, donor funding and NGO intervention were cut following the Taliban takeover in 2021, as Taliban policies limited how much donors were willing to help.

Health Care System

Afghanistan’s health care system is highly reliant on foreign aid. When this abruptly stopped in 2021, preventative education and care for those malnourished ceased, affecting women and children the most. Sanctions were imposed on the Taliban government, further restricting Afghan citizens’ access to food and medical supplies.

This crisis has been exacerbated by Afghanistan’s largest donor, the U.S., halting nearly all aid earlier this year. John Aylieff, the WFP’s country director, underscored the impact of these cuts, stating, “Food assistance kept a lid on this country hunger and malnutrition… The lid has now been lifted. The soaring of malnutrition is placing the lives of more than three million children in peril.”

Consequences of Malnutrition for Mothers and Their Children

The year began in Afghanistan with one of the highest recorded increases in child malnutrition, with only 12% of children aged 6 to 24 months receiving adequate quantities and quality of food. The food crisis also has a deeply gendered dimension. According to UNICEF, women are disproportionately affected and the gender gap in food access continues to widen.

Women’s and girls’ health is crucial to infants’ health, as malnutrition creates an intergenerational cycle. When women lack adequate nutrition, rates of undernourished children rise, with devastating consequences for growth and learning. According to the U.N., nearly half of all Afghan children are stunted due to limited diets.

Since the Taliban takeover, the situation has only continued to worsen and new insights have come forth in a report by Johns Hopkins titled “The Crisis of Maternal and Child Health in Afghanistan.” One third of the health professionals interviewed have perceived that infant and maternal mortality have increased. Another lamented that women in labor or those with sick children do not come to clinics for lack of money or fears of the Taliban.

The rise in child mortality is visible across Afghanistan. At the Sheidaee graveyard, BBC journalists counted graves with no official records. They found that roughly two-thirds belonged to children. They also visited the malnutrition ward of Badakhshan Regional Hospital, where 26 children shared 12 beds.

The youngest patient, Sana, was only three months old and suffered from malnutrition, acute diarrhea and a cleft lip. When journalists followed up with her family, they learned that Sana had sadly passed away.

What Is Being Done?

Despite this, there has been a shift toward community-based prevention efforts to aid malnutrition in women and children. In August this year, UNICEF and the WFP launched a joint plan to stop child wasting in Afghanistan. This action reinforces the importance of maternal nutrition, local food solutions and the convergence of community-based services.

What is evident here is a renewed push to address the root causes of malnutrition. They have pledged to ensure malnourished children receive treatment and help break the intergenerational cycle by improving breastfeeding practices and nutrition education. The WFP has also offered women safe spaces through its skills training and livelihood programs, which offer women the opportunity to earn an income and build a community.

While there have been significant strides to address malnutrition in Afghanistan, aid is under constant threat of being slashed due to funding cuts. As UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell commented, “When a girl or woman does not get adequate nutrition, gender inequality is perpetuated.” A well-balanced diet is the bedrock of child survival, so it is integral that life-saving support is directed to those who need it most.

– Libby Foxwell

Libby is based in Sherborne, Dorset and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr