A million Afghan children at risk of dying amid acute malnutrition, WHO says

FILE PHOTO: Internally displaced Afghan children play outside their shelter, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kabul, Afghanistan May 7, 2020.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail/File Photo

GENEVA (Reuters) -Around 3.2 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in Afghanistan by the end of this year, with 1 million of them at risk of dying as temperatures drop, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday.

Aid agencies have warned of famine as a drought coincides with a failing economy following the withdrawal of Western financial support in the aftermath of a Taliban takeover in August. The health sector has been hit especially hard, with many healthcare workers fleeing due to unpaid salaries.