Education for All Genders Is Key to Curbing Child Malnutrition, Says Former Afghan President Karzai

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has issued a urgent appeal for intensified efforts to combat the country’s deepening child malnutrition crisis, emphasizing that equal access to education for both girls and boys is a non-negotiable prerequisite for long-term prevention.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Karzai drew attention to a recent alarming report from UNICEF, which warns that approximately 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan are now at increasing risk of acute malnutrition. The report cites a combination of persistent poverty, food insecurity, disrupted healthcare services, and the ongoing humanitarian fallout from decades of conflict as primary drivers of the crisis.

Karzai called on both Afghan authorities and international organizations to adopt “serious and comprehensive measures” to curb the rising tide of child undernourishment, which he described as a direct threat to the nation’s future stability. He stressed that safeguarding children’s health is not merely a moral duty but a strategic investment in the country’s human capital, warning that a generation of malnourished children would undermine Afghanistan’s social and economic recovery for years to come.

Beyond immediate food aid and medical intervention, Karzai underscored that education is a fundamental, structural solution to malnutrition. He argued that providing inclusive, quality schooling for all children and young people regardless of gender is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty and poor health. Educated families, he noted, are better equipped to make informed nutritional choices, access healthcare, and improve household hygiene and sanitation.

Expanding access to learning, particularly for girls who have faced severe restrictions on secondary and higher education since August 2021 would also help cultivate a skilled and literate workforce. According to Karzai, this would gradually reduce the effects of widespread illiteracy, stimulate economic growth, and ultimately enable Afghanistan to meet its basic needs without over-reliance on foreign humanitarian aid.

“We cannot address malnutrition with food alone,” Karzai implied in his message. “We must address the root causes poverty, ignorance, and exclusion and that begins in the classroom.”

He concluded by reiterating that coordinated action between domestic institutions and global partners is critical, urging the international community not to overlook education as an integral part of any sustainable health and nutrition strategy in Afghanistan.