Authorities: Dozens of children die of starvation in Afghanistan – Politics –

2.10.2021 21:49

(Ac. 2.10.2021 21:49)

A third of the population in Afghanistan is threatened with starvation
© APA (AFP)

According to official information, dozens of children have already died of starvation in Afghanistan. At least 17 malnourished children have died in hospitals in central Ghor province in the past six months, Mullah Mohammad Ahmadi, director of the provincial health authority, said Saturday. There are approximately 300 children suffering from malnutrition. He said hundreds of children are at risk of starvation across central Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) could not confirm the figures from Gur. But he also fears that “too many children” will die in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has relied on international aid for years. However, after the withdrawal of Western forces and the coming to power of the radical Islamist Taliban movement, many services were frozen. Add to this severe drought and high food prices.

According to United Nations figures, a third of the population is already threatened with starvation. UNICEF estimates that by the end of the year one million children under the age of five could suffer from severe acute malnutrition, putting their lives at risk.