Mads Nissen/Politiken/Panos

Hojatullah (11 months old) with his mother Afisa (25) (left) are seen by a health worker in a small clinic managed by UNICEF. Children from the village of Alibeg and surrounding area are being medically examined for malnutrition which is common in a region where many families must survive on a daily diet consisting mostly of white bread and tea.

"The nurses thought he was too quiet, he did not try to crawl, and when he was measured and weighed, they said he was severely malnourished. I breastfeed him, but I do not get enough to eat myself, so the milk is not worth much", explains Afisa.