The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced a new initiative aimed at combating child food insecurity, stating that half of the children in Afghanistan are grappling with this crisis. In a report published on Monday, June 16, UNICEF stated that the initiative, titled “First Foods for Afghanistan”, has been launched with the support of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
According to the report, the initiative seeks to transform approaches to food and nutrition systems to improve the diets of children under the age of two. UNICEF emphasized that 90 percent of children in Afghanistan are living in food poverty. The agency reported that 3.5 million children in the country are suffering from alarming levels of wasting, of which 1.4 million are at risk of death.
According to the report, Afghanistan currently ranks fourth globally in terms of severe child food poverty rates. The report states: “The First Foods for Afghanistan initiative aims to reach 1.7 million children across all 34 provinces of the country through a comprehensive and systemic approach to ending child food poverty. This initiative will promote and support the production of local and home-based foods, as well as the preparation of nutritious complementary foods for children, within the financial means of families.”
The United Nations had also issued a separate appeal yesterday for supporting vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this news here:
یونیسف از ابتکار جدید برای مقابله با فقر غذایی کودکان در افغانستان خبر داد
