UNICEF representative in Afghanistan has said the country is facing one of the most severe nutrition crises in the world, with 3.5 million children suffering from acute malnutrition and one million experiencing extreme wasting and at serious risk.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, wrote on X that funding and allowing female health workers access to communities can save lives and secure children’s futures.

He added that despite enormous challenges, UNICEF continues to work every day for the health of the Afghan people, and this year alone, more than 480,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have received treatment.

The World Food Programme reported in September that nearly five million mothers and children in Afghanistan are malnourished, warning that the hunger crisis is deepening across the country.

According to UN figures, every ten seconds, one child in Afghanistan becomes malnourished.