In the past seven months, over 12,000 children in Uruzgan have been diagnosed with malnutrition.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) states that not breastfeeding, lack of family awareness, and economic challenges are the primary causes of the rise in malnutrition in this province.

Sadr Azam Alfat, the head of the UNICEF malnutrition department, said at the celebration of Breastfeeding Week in Uruzgan: "The figures for the past seven months, which we have available, are 12,661. We are still in the red zone."

Religious scholars and health officials also attribute the primary causes of child malnutrition to families' economic challenges, lack of public awareness, and cultural and social issues.

Mohammad Tayeb Talimi, a religious scholar, said: "Based on the religious principles of Imam Azam, a mother should breastfeed her child for thirty months."

Abdul Wahid Wahidyar, the head of Uruzgan Provincial Hospital, said: "We urge everyone to make breastfeeding a common practice."

According to UNICEF, nearly 26,000 children in Uruzgan suffered from malnutrition in 2023.