Tehran- IRAF- the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Government of France are collaborating on a joint initiative to improve food security and nutrition for families affected by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.
This inter-agency cooperation, focused on community-based solutions, aims to ensure sustainable access to essential and nutritious food while preventing the spread of food poverty and malnutrition among Afghan children.
Empowering Families Through Education and Skills
In addition to providing specialized counseling to caregivers and mothers on optimal infant and young child feeding practices, the support program also focuses on empowering adolescents and youth.
Through skills-training initiatives, the program seeks to develop local and innovative solutions for securing basic and nutritious food in earthquake-affected areas.
A key component of the project is the improvement of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services at the household level.
Ensuring the safety of complementary foods for children is considered a critical step in preventing malnutrition and diseases caused by contamination.
Timely Treatment as a Priority
Where preventive measures are insufficient, the program also covers the immediate treatment of children suffering from severe wasting and acute malnutrition.
The goal is not only to safeguard children’s survival but also to build long-term resilience against future crises.
80 Percent of Affected Children Are Under Two
Tajodin Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, referring to displacement and repeated shocks caused by the earthquake, said: “A large number of Afghan children are on the brink of malnutrition; nearly 80 percent of those affected are under the age of two—a critical period for survival and healthy growth.
With family livelihoods and local markets disrupted, the need for nutritious basic food and preventive services has never been more urgent.
France’s support enables us, in partnership with FAO and local institutions, to establish multi-layered protection systems for children and mothers to ensure their resilience in future crises.”
Smart Investment to Prevent a Relapse into Crisis
This joint initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of malnutrition in Afghanistan by linking agriculture, nutrition, health, and water services.
Such unprecedented coordination not only responds to families’ immediate needs but also strengthens the foundations for long-term recovery.
Experts emphasize that at a time when food security gains remain highly fragile, targeted investments of this kind are the most cost-effective way to prevent the reversal of previous progress.
