Afghanistan receives $2.2 million nutrition aid from Sweden
WFP uses Swedish aid to help 125,000 Afghan mothers and children as malnutrition surges to record levels
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) — Afghanistan has received new international support to address a growing nutrition crisis, with Sweden’s International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) contributing $2.2 million through the World Food Programme (WFP).
The funding is enabling WFP to provide over 550 metric tonnes of specialized nutritious food to more than 125,000 Afghan mothers and children over a three-month period, aimed at preventing malnutrition.
“This year, in Afghanistan, 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are suffering from malnutrition, while 3.5 million young children are expected to be malnourished — the sharpest surge ever recorded,” said Mutinta Chimuka, WFP’s Acting Country Director in Afghanistan. “It is critical to support mothers and their young children to stay healthy and well-nourished, for their own futures and that of their families.”
Malnutrition rates have worsened across the country amid prolonged economic hardship and shrinking international aid. Two-thirds of women-headed households are unable to afford basic nutrition — nearly 20% higher than among male-headed families.
In 2024, WFP reached nearly 12 million Afghans through food and nutrition programs, with women and girls making up more than half of those assisted.
Last year, WFP supported over 2.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and young children with fortified food designed to prevent severe malnutrition. Of those reached, more than 1.5 million were children and nearly 800,000 were Afghan mothers.
SIDA has been a steady donor to Afghanistan, contributing more than $30 million to WFP operations between 2021 and 2024, placing Sweden among the top ten donors for 2025.
Humanitarian agencies continue to warn that nearly 23 million Afghans will need assistance this year as economic instability, hunger, and health emergencies worsen across the country.
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