European Union and UNICEF airlift life-saving nutrition supplies to Afghanistan amid severe shortage

Kabul, 03 March 2026 - The first of three European Union-funded humanitarian flights carrying life-saving nutrition supplies has landed in Afghanistan today. The airlifts, implemented in partnership with UNICEF, will deliver a total of 20,000 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) urgently needed to support severely malnourished children across the country.

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a nutrient-dense paste used to treat severe acute malnutrition and is a cornerstone of emergency nutrition programming. Humanitarian organisations across Afghanistan rely on RUTF to save children’s lives.

Recent shortages in-country have been driven by a lack of local procurement options, the closure of the border with Pakistan - one of the main supply routes - and compounded by broad funding cuts from previously major humanitarian donors.

Ms. Veronika Boskovic Pohar, Head of the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan stated “The EU remains committed to Afghanistan’s most vulnerable – ensuring life-saving nutrition reaches children when it matters the most. Via UNICEF, this donation will treat 20.000 children in Afghanistan.”

The supplies brought in by the emergency airlifts will be distributed through UNICEF to humanitarian organisations to help them ensure that treatment for the most vulnerable children can continue uninterrupted until regular supply channels can be restored. 

“For children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, timely treatment can mean the difference between life and death. We thank the European Union for this rapid and invaluable support,” said Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan. “The EU, through its humanitarian aid, has repeatedly provided critical assistance during humanitarian emergencies, and this airlift is another example of that support to Afghanistan’s children and families.”

Economic instability, conflict, and climate-related disasters in Afghanistan have sharply exacerbated food insecurity, leading to a deepening humanitarian emergency.

Afghanistan is at the epicentre of a prolonged nutrition crisis, with an estimated 3.7 million children under the age of five acutely malnourished due to lack of access to nutritious food and clean water. Severely malnourished children suffer from weakened immune systems, making them far more vulnerable to infections and significantly increasing their risk of death.

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For Media Enquires:
EU Delegation to Afghanistan:
Sayed Nawid Sapand, Press & Information Officer, [email protected]

UNICEF Afghanistan:
Daniel Timme, Chief of Communication, [email protected]