By Sophie Culpepper
Abundance and the Afghanistan Hunger Crisis
If I were to hazard a guess at what you‘ve eaten today—which would be less than tactful, as food can be an unseemly and even dangerous topic of conversation—I’d say a bowl of cereal, and maybe some fruit or yogurt subsequent to some pasta or a plate of pork chops. Even if you chose not to eat much, you probably nonetheless had access to an abundance of nourishment options; the fact that you could choose what and how much you ate is evidence of the impressive culture of excess shared by much of society today. The trouble is we often too take this overwhelming abundance for granted, so that it doesn't even occur to us to consider the shortage our extravagant surplus procures for countless others worlds away, or how much of this excess ends up going to waste.
One in eight people worldwide suffers from chronic malnutrition, and about 852 million out of the 870 million suffering inhabit developing countries. The ongoing malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan is therefore one of many reminders of the chasm of inequality existing between so many components of moden society.
Over the past couple of weeks, approximately 7% of Afghanistan inhabitants under the age of five have been suffering from severe malnutrition. This malnutrition manifests itself in various ways, depending on its gravity. The symptoms of “kwashiorkor,” a protein deficit with water retention repercussions, include swollen feet, bloated bellies and discolored hair. “Marasmus”, another result of inadequate energy consumption, causes children’s skin to hang loosely from their faces, affecting premature aging. General chronic malnutrition often leaves children permanently stunted—indeed, 55% of Afghan children appear to be experiencing growth and developmental issues which can be linked to malnutrition.
Technically speaking, a country should not declare a state of emergency unless severe malnutrition occurs naturally in more than 10 % of a population However, at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital—located in Kabul, and widely considered to be the best pediatric hospital in the country—more than 100 patients a month are being recorded, with 5-10 % of these dying (heart failure being a common cause of death). At the Bost Hospital, located in one of several war-riddled areas, 200 patients a month have been admitted for child malnutrition. Malnutrition conditions in Afghanistan have not been this alarming since 2001, and the situation appears to only be deteriorating further…and spreading.
At the medical centers where kids are being admitted, conditions and resources are hardly optimal. The 17 designated hospital beds at the hospital in Kabul each contain 2 or 3 children due to overcrowding, and most of the equipment is outdated and broken—from the incubators to the infusion lines to the windows themselves. Children can reportedly be heard crying everywhere, and parents often lack the economic and other means to follow up on treatment plans.
The cause of this child malnutrition crisis remains disputed. Many doctors believe lack of breast feeding to be the issue, with mothers apparently choosing boxed milk over their own based on image advertisements. As women in Afghanistan on average have several children, with poverty and war risks already serious issues, producing enough milk for all children can be very difficult for mothers. Finally, water purity inconsistencies increase diarrhea likelihood—and diarrhea is yet another malnutrition agitator.
Regardless of the specific causes of Afghanistan’s mass malnutrition, it is a crisis meriting more international aid (supplies, mainly) than it is currently receiving. Perhaps we ourselves could take a moment to contribute or spread awareness, instead of remaining wrapped up in the privileges we take for granted.