Save the Children: Earthquake-hit Afghan Children Face Malnutrition Threat
Tawazon – The international aid organization Save the Children has warned that more than 37,000 children already at risk of malnutrition are now facing an even greater threat of hunger and disease following the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the organization said that many health facilities have been damaged by the quakes while dozens of others in eastern provinces have shut down due to a shortage of international aid.
According to estimates from the Global Nutrition Cluster, around 37,000 children under the age of five and 10,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in the earthquake-affected areas are at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Save the Children added that more than 91,000 people in these regions are in urgent need of nutritional assistance.
The United Nations reported that the 6.0-magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of around 2,200 people, including at least 750 children. This disaster comes as Afghanistan is already grappling with a nationwide malnutrition crisis, with nearly five million children at risk of severe food insecurity.
Save the Children noted that at least 16 health facilities in the eastern provinces were damaged by the quak, one of which was completely destroyed. Meanwhile, across Afghanistan, the reduction in international aid has forced the closure of 422 health centers, cutting off life-saving services for about three million people.
The organization said hundreds of families have been displaced and are now living in informal camps. Emergency aid distributions are underway, including food, medical supplies, clean water, psychological support for children, and urgent cash assistance.
Since the beginning of September, Save the Children has provided assistance to more than 12,000 people in quake-hit areas, including 7,000 children in Kunar province and beyond.
