Amina's heartbreak is profound. She has lost six children, none of whom lived past the age of three, and now her seven-month-old daughter, Bibi Hajira, is fighting for her life. Bibi Hajira, who is the size of a newborn due to severe acute malnutrition, occupies half a bed at the Jalalabad regional hospital in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Amina, anguished, says, "My children are dying because of poverty. All I can feed them is dry bread and water that I warm under the sun."

Tragically, Amina’s story is not isolated. In Afghanistan, 3.2 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, a crisis exacerbated by decades of conflict, extreme poverty, and worsening conditions since the Taliban's takeover. This dire situation is reflected in the hospital’s wards, where 18 toddlers share seven beds. The silence in the room is eerie, broken only by the beeping of pulse monitors. Most of the children are too weak to move or make a sound, and the ward is a scene of heartbreak and despair.

Three-year-old Sana, who lost her mother during childbirth, is lying in bed next to Bibi Hajira. Her aunt, Laila, holds up seven fingers to signify the number of children she has lost. Nearby, three-year-old Ilham is severely underweight, with peeling skin, and his sister had also died young. One-year-old Asma, with striking hazel eyes, is barely surviving on an oxygen mask. Her condition has deteriorated to septic shock, and Dr. Sikandar Ghani fears she may not survive. Just an hour after our visit, Asma passed away.

In the past six months alone, the hospital has seen 700 child deaths—over three a day. Without World Bank and UNICEF funding, many more would have died. The healthcare collapse began when international funds were cut off following the Taliban's takeover. Despite temporary aid from organizations, funding has dwindled, and the Taliban’s restrictions on women have deterred donors.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban government’s deputy spokesman, emphasizes the worsening poverty and malnutrition due to natural disasters and climate change, urging increased humanitarian aid without tying it to political issues.

During visits to various health facilities, the severity of the crisis is evident, but the right treatment can make a difference. Dr. Ghani reports that Bibi Hajira has improved and been discharged, highlighting that with more resources, many more lives could be saved.

Malnutrition is not the only issue; other preventable diseases also contribute to high mortality rates. In the ICU, six-month-old Umrah battles severe pneumonia, and her mother, Nasreen, is devastated. Umrah died two days later.

The situation is so dire that new patients arrive almost immediately after others pass away. The Jalalabad hospital serves a population of about five million across five provinces, and pressure has increased with the influx of over 700,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan. The UN reports that 45% of Afghan children under five are stunted, a statistic evidenced by children like Robina’s two-year-old son, Mohammed, who struggles to stand and is much shorter than his peers.

Robina, displaced from Pakistan, cannot afford the treatment Mohammed needs. The cutbacks in community nutrition programs have left many families struggling. For example, Sardar Gul’s children were malnourished, but with aid, his eight-month-old son, Mujib, has gained weight and improved.

These cases show that timely intervention can prevent death and disability. However, continued and increased support is essential to address the overwhelming needs in Afghanistan.