Twin Humanitarian Emergencies: Afghan Children Face Malnutrition as 16.5 Million Syrians Need Urgent Aid

Twin Humanitarian Emergencies: Afghan Children Face Malnutrition as 16.5 Million Syrians Need Urgent Aid
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Two parallel crises in Afghanistan and Syria are underscoring the immense humanitarian challenges facing the region, with children and displaced populations at the greatest risk.

According to a report by Save the Children on ReliefWeb, thousands of Afghan children are at risk of malnutrition following the recent 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan. The disaster not only killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed thousands of homes, but also shuttered dozens of health clinics, further straining an already fragile healthcare system. Aid agencies warn that around 37,000 children under the age of five and 10,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women could suffer acute malnutrition in the coming months due to the collapse of medical and nutritional services.

At the same time, the United Nations has raised the alarm over the scale of humanitarian needs in Syria. Adam Abdelmoula, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, stated that 16.5 million Syrians require immediate assistance. This figure includes 2.5 million returnees—both internally displaced people and refugees who have come back to homes that are often destroyed or uninhabitable. Abdelmoula emphasized that the crisis extends beyond food insecurity, encompassing the destruction of schools, health facilities, and basic infrastructure.

Both situations highlight the growing difficulty of sustaining aid amid funding shortfalls and the sheer scale of need. In Afghanistan, humanitarian groups stress the urgency of rebuilding clinics and restoring nutrition programs before winter sets in. In Syria, the UN has called for sustained and expanded international support to prevent further deterioration of living conditions.