Too little too late
About
Too Little, Too Late: The Diet Crisis Facing Young Children in Afghanistan examines how poor diets and food insecurity are driving malnutrition among young children across the country.
Drawing on data from more than 37,000 children across 481 nutrition sentinel sites in all 34 provinces, the report shows that nearly half of children experience moderate or severe food insecurity, equivalent to around 3.7 million children. It also finds that children facing severe food insecurity are up to six times more likely to be wasted during peak malnutrition periods, with younger children and girls disproportionately affected.
The report introduces UNICEF Afghanistan’s Community Nutrition Sentinel Surveillance system and Child Food Insecurity Experience Scale, which together help identify risks earlier and guide more targeted action.
It calls for stronger prevention efforts across health, nutrition, WASH, social protection and education, placing children’s diets at the centre of Afghanistan’s response to malnutrition.
