1.1m children to be treated by this year’s end: UNICEF

KABUL (Pajhwok): UNICEF on Sunday pledged to reach out to 1.1 million children suffering from severe malnutrition by the end of 2022 in Afghanistan.

On it Twitter handle, UNICEF Chief of Nutrition for Afghanistan Melanie Galvin wrote: “In March alone, @UNICEFAfg treated more than 35,700 children for severe acute malnutrition. We aim to reach 1.1 million by the end of the year.”

Separately, UNICEF Director for Global Communication and Advocacy Paloma Escudero on her Twitter handle wrote: “Time is of the essence to provide life-saving treatment to one million Afghan children at risk of severe acute malnutrition.”

During a visit to Paktika province, she met dozens of mothers at hospital who all were seeking immediate help for their malnourished children.

Escudero said Afghanistan witnessed decades of conflict, drought and growing economic collapse causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis for children.

“UNICEF has worked +70 years for every boy and girl in this country and, now more than ever, is staying and delivering,” she said.

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