Press release
Rising child malnutrition is pushing clinic admissions beyond capacity in Helmand, Afghanistan
Action Against Hunger is raising alarm over a sharp increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition with complications in Helmand province. Originally designed for 45 beds, the Therapeutic Feeding Unit (TFU) in Lashkar Gah is now stretched to 70 beds as the number of malnourished children continues to rise. The facility, supported through European Union humanitarian funding, remains under significant strain and continues to operate beyond its capacity. Without urgent investment in prevention, access to ambulatory care with appropriate supplies, and addressing the underlying drivers of malnutrition, more children will require emergency care.
“Last week, I witnessed firsthand the growing needs and the immense pressure on frontline health services”, shared Cobi Rietveld, Country Director for Action Against Hunger in Afghanistan. “The facility’s meeting room was transformed into an additional ward with the support of the Directorate of Public Health, which provided 25 additional beds. Within hours, all beds were filled as 73 children were admitted, some sharing beds with siblings or twins”.
The facility admitted a family with seven-month-old twins in fragile condition, who are also sharing a single bed. Their mother had sought help weeks earlier but was unable to access treatment. With limited food, insufficient milk, and a household of 11 surviving on just 5,000 Afghanis per month (around 78 USD), their condition deteriorated until admission to the therapeutic feeding unit became inevitable.
“Treating children only when they reach the breaking point isn’t a long-term solution but a losing battle. To truly break this cycle, we need to get ahead of the crisis: that means supporting local communities, securing reliable food sources, and making sure families can actually get to a clinic equipped with sufficient supplies for ambulatory treatment before their children are in critical danger,” said Cobi Rietveld.
In Helmand, Action Against Hunger staff are working beyond their limits, with medical and support teams putting in relentless overtime to maintain life-saving care. Many children arrive in critical condition, often suffering from acute watery diarrhea. This medical complication is devastating: without immediate, specialized treatment, a child suffering from moderate malnutrition can rapidly deteriorate into severe acute malnutrition, turning a fragile situation into a life-threatening emergency in a matter of hours.
The start of the lean season and ongoing drought in Helmand could have triggered a sharp surge in diarrheal cases and patient volume. At the same time, broader factors – including unprecedented economic crisis – are fueling an alarming increase in malnutrition across the country. The situation is further exacerbated by the strain of accommodating more than 3.5 million returnees from Pakistan and Iran, as well as the widespread shutdown of health and nutrition sites due to severe funding cuts. This critical gap in coverage, compounded by border closures and persistent supply shortages at the last mile, threatens to push overstretched services to a breaking point and leaves countless children without life-saving treatment.
While frontline teams continue to provide lifesaving care, Action Against Hunger warns that treatment alone is not enough and that more international donor support is urgently needed to avoid a deeper health crisis.