Afghanistan, Aug. 4 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that acute child malnutrition has reached critical levels in one-third of Afghanistan's provinces, as funding shortages force cuts to life-saving nutrition programmes and leave millions of children at growing risk.
In a report released this week, WFP said 12 provinces; including Helmand, Kandahar, Baghlan, Daikundi, Ghor, Faryab and Paktika now require urgent therapeutic nutrition interventions. The agency warned that conditions are expected to worsen through October, traditionally Afghanistan's peak malnutrition season.
The agency said shrinking humanitarian funding has severely reduced food and nutrition assistance at a time when humanitarian needs continue ...