Author: sHq_LoGiNz

NEW YORK, December 16, 2025 /3BL/ – An IPC report released today shows that Afghanistan now ranks as the fourth country in the world for rates of child acute malnutrition. More than 3.7 million Afghan children are affected—200,000 more than last year—with widespread poverty preventing 78 percent of families from accessing nutritious food for their children. The crisis will continue to intensify, especially during the winter months when risks are elevated.

“No child should die because of hunger,” said Cobi Rietveld, Action Against Hunger’s Afghanistan Country Director. “Today’s report is very worrying: hunger in Afghanistan is worsening, and children are paying the highest price.”

According to the new report, children suffering from severe acute malnutrition are 12 times more likely to die than healthy children. The children most affected are very young, with 85 percent of severely malnourished children under two years old. An estimated 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also acutely malnourished, heightening risks for both mothers and their children.

Afghanistan continues to face overlapping crises that make malnutrition prevention and treatment even more challenging. In addition to widespread poverty and limited access to healthcare, the country is now experiencing its fourth drought in five years, severely affecting crop production. A major earthquake in August caused more than 2,000 deaths and destroyed homes and health facilities in eastern Afghanistan, leaving children particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. These challenges are further compounded by ongoing border tensions and the return of over 2.5 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in 2025, which adds new risks for families already struggling to cope.

Large-scale funding cuts have intensified the crisis. The required response is only 50 percent funded so far, with just $148 million received out of a required $296 million, leaving a massive funding gap. These cuts have led to the closure of at least 305 nutrition sites across the country this year. A growing number of families struggle to reach the nutrition and healthcare they need due to a shortage of health facilities, restrictions on women’s mobility, and constraints placed on female health workers.

Action Against Hunger’s therapeutic feeding unit (TFU) in Kabul—which treats more than 1,000 children with severe acute malnutrition annually—was among the facilities affected by funding cuts. The unit was forced to suspend operations for one month before securing alternative funding, leaving queues of malnourished children without access to lifesaving care.

According to the IPC, the key drivers of this malnutrition crisis are poverty (with 78 percent of families unable to afford nutritious meals), disease burden (including 4,000 confirmed measles cases and high rates of diarrhea), poor access to safe drinking water (with more than 50 percent of people in 24 provinces lacking safe drinking water), and severely limited access to healthcare.

Despite funding gaps, Action Against Hunger continues to fight hunger in Afghanistan by treating malnourished children and pregnant mothers, and by tackling the root causes to prevent hunger. The organization works in six provinces across Afghanistan, implementing a multi-sectoral response to the ongoing crisis, which addresses the underlying causes of malnutrition. Last year, Action Against Hunger treated over 100,000 children facing malnutrition, of whom 5,611 were facing severe complications and a high likelihood of death without care.

“Hunger is rising, but together we can stop it,” said Rietveld. “Children are dying, and we must not let this happen.”

***

Action Against Hunger is a global leader creating a future where every life is well nourished. We innovate to prevent malnutrition and respond to hunger hotspots, working in 59 countries and reaching more than 21 million people each year. With 8,990 staff members worldwide—95% hired locally—we ensure culturally relevant solutions and empower communities with long-term resilience. For 18 consecutive years, we’ve earned top ratings from charity evaluators—a distinction achieved by fewer than 1% of nonprofits. Together, we are promoting resilience and working to end hunger for everyone, for good.

CONTACT:

Meredith Whitefield
mwhitefield@actionagainsthunger.org
917-771-0519

NEW YORK, December 16, 2025 /3BL/ – An IPC report released today shows that Afghanistan now ranks as the fourth country in the world for rates of child acute malnutrition. More than 3.7 million Afghan children are affected—200,000 more than last year—with widespread poverty preventing 78 percent of families from accessing nutritious food for their children. The crisis will continue to intensify, especially during the winter months when risks are elevated.

“No child should die because of hunger,” said Cobi Rietveld, Action Against Hunger’s Afghanistan Country Director. “Today’s report is very worrying: hunger in Afghanistan is worsening, and children are paying the highest price.”

According to the new report, children suffering from severe acute malnutrition are 12 times more likely to die than healthy children. The children most affected are very young, with 85 percent of severely malnourished children under two years old. An estimated 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also acutely malnourished, heightening risks for both mothers and their children.

Afghanistan continues to face overlapping crises that make malnutrition prevention and treatment even more challenging. In addition to widespread poverty and limited access to healthcare, the country is now experiencing its fourth drought in five years, severely affecting crop production. A major earthquake in August caused more than 2,000 deaths and destroyed homes and health facilities in eastern Afghanistan, leaving children particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. These challenges are further compounded by ongoing border tensions and the return of over 2.5 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in 2025, which adds new risks for families already struggling to cope.

Large-scale funding cuts have intensified the crisis. The required response is only 50 percent funded so far, with just $148 million received out of a required $296 million, leaving a massive funding gap. These cuts have led to the closure of at least 305 nutrition sites across the country this year. A growing number of families struggle to reach the nutrition and healthcare they need due to a shortage of health facilities, restrictions on women’s mobility, and constraints placed on female health workers.

Action Against Hunger’s therapeutic feeding unit (TFU) in Kabul—which treats more than 1,000 children with severe acute malnutrition annually—was among the facilities affected by funding cuts. The unit was forced to suspend operations for one month before securing alternative funding, leaving queues of malnourished children without access to lifesaving care.

According to the IPC, the key drivers of this malnutrition crisis are poverty (with 78 percent of families unable to afford nutritious meals), disease burden (including 4,000 confirmed measles cases and high rates of diarrhea), poor access to safe drinking water (with more than 50 percent of people in 24 provinces lacking safe drinking water), and severely limited access to healthcare.

Despite funding gaps, Action Against Hunger continues to fight hunger in Afghanistan by treating malnourished children and pregnant mothers, and by tackling the root causes to prevent hunger. The organization works in six provinces across Afghanistan, implementing a multi-sectoral response to the ongoing crisis, which addresses the underlying causes of malnutrition. Last year, Action Against Hunger treated over 100,000 children facing malnutrition, of whom 5,611 were facing severe complications and a high likelihood of death without care.

“Hunger is rising, but together we can stop it,” said Rietveld. “Children are dying, and we must not let this happen.”

***

Action Against Hunger is a global leader creating a future where every life is well nourished. We innovate to prevent malnutrition and respond to hunger hotspots, working in 59 countries and reaching more than 21 million people each year. With 8,990 staff members worldwide—95% hired locally—we ensure culturally relevant solutions and empower communities with long-term resilience. For 18 consecutive years, we’ve earned top ratings from charity evaluators—a distinction achieved by fewer than 1% of nonprofits. Together, we are promoting resilience and working to end hunger for everyone, for good.

CONTACT:

Meredith Whitefield
mwhitefield@actionagainsthunger.org
917-771-0519

Over the past several years, The Earth Lab and Tandem Global have demonstrated how sustained collaboration can drive climate action that is both technically rigorous and deeply human. What began as a shared vision to bridge global efforts and initiatives with local realities has grown into a strong alliance that places people and communities at the heart of climate solutions.

A partnership in motion

Since 2021, this collaboration has strengthened the credibility and reach of high-integrity carbon projects in Mexico and beyond. Together, The Earth Lab and Tandem Global have advanced biodiversity initiatives that embody additionality, permanence and co-benefits— while amplifying the voices of Indigenous and rural communities.

These projects demonstrate how technical rigor, long-term governance, and cultural preservation can come together under a community-first approach and be recognized by Bonos Jaguar del Mayab and Ecos de Chiapas: Blue Carbon Portfolio.

“Working alongside The Earth Lab has shown what is possible when scientific rigor is paired with deep respect for community leadership,” said Anna Willingshofer, Chief Science and Innovation Officer at Tandem Global. “Their commitment to long-term stewardship and cultural integrity exemplifies the kind of partnership that can truly transform climate ambition into meaningful, measurable impact on the ground.”

The generosity of communities

At the core of The Earth Lab’s work is the generosity of communities. Across Mexico, ejidos (cooperative farms) have shared their knowledge, traditions and governance systems to co-create solutions that deliver benefits far beyond their territories. From women-led mangrove restoration in Chiapas to cultural stewardship in Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and intergenerational decision-making, within community assemblies—each example shows how generosity becomes meaningful action.

These experiences remind us that climate action is not only about carbon accounting—it is also about identity, biodiversity, and justice. The Earth Lab’s projects protect ecosystems ranging from the jaguar’s biological corridor to mangrove forests that store vast amounts of blue carbon. By combining biodiversity protection with local leadership, these efforts demonstrate that social and ecological integrity are inseparable and may reach global recognition.

Deepening the impact

This collaboration reaffirms a long-term commitment to responsibility, equity, and transparency.

“Every step we take with Tandem Global strengthens the link between global climate goals and local realities,” said Jorge Calderón, Founder and Director of The Earth Lab. “Our communities are far more than participants, they are the heartbeat of sustainability, leading knowledge, culture, and a commitment that will endure for generations.”

Looking ahead

For The Earth Lab, this next chapter focuses on scaling up: expanding community-driven portfolios, advancing biodiversity monitoring systems, and developing investment pathways for companies seeking verifiable, additional, and high-integrity carbon credits.

With a 100-year commitment to stewardship, The Earth Lab aims to ensure that biodiversity thrives, cultures are honored, and communities prosper. This long-term vision shows that when climate action is rooted in generosity and integrity, it can create a legacy of resilience and well-being for generations to come.

Together, The Earth Lab and Tandem Global continue to prove that climate solutions can be measurable, equitable, community-led, and lasting—reflecting a partnership that grows stronger with time and continues to focus on creating impact where it matters most: with people and nature at the center.

Tangible results on-the-ground

The Ejido Sisal, with a carbon project co-developed by The Earth Lab, has achieved two consecutive international certifications under the WHC Conservation Certification^®, powered by Tandem Global. The project was recognized for efforts across multiple categories, including habitat management, species protection, education and awareness, and sustainable practices. In 2023, The Ejido Sisal was honored with the Tandem Global Marine Intertidal Project Award, and in 2025, it achieved a renewed WHC Certification, reaffirming its leadership in biodiversity stewardship and community-based conservation. These milestones highlight both technical excellence and the long-term commitment of local communities.

Beyond certifications, The Earth Lab has established a strong track record through Earth Charrettes — participatory processes designed to bring together communities, technical experts, and stakeholders to map priorities, share knowledge, and co-create sustainability strategies. Alongside these Charrettes, The Earth Lab continues to lead training programs and partnerships with Indigenous and rural communities as well as with other strategic stakeholders, ensuring that knowledge is shared, capacities are strengthened, and local leadership remains at the core of every initiative.

Visit The Earth Lab website

Visit Tandem Global website

Over the past several years, The Earth Lab and Tandem Global have demonstrated how sustained collaboration can drive climate action that is both technically rigorous and deeply human. What began as a shared vision to bridge global efforts and initiatives with local realities has grown into a strong alliance that places people and communities at the heart of climate solutions.

A partnership in motion

Since 2021, this collaboration has strengthened the credibility and reach of high-integrity carbon projects in Mexico and beyond. Together, The Earth Lab and Tandem Global have advanced biodiversity initiatives that embody additionality, permanence and co-benefits— while amplifying the voices of Indigenous and rural communities.

These projects demonstrate how technical rigor, long-term governance, and cultural preservation can come together under a community-first approach and be recognized by Bonos Jaguar del Mayab and Ecos de Chiapas: Blue Carbon Portfolio.

“Working alongside The Earth Lab has shown what is possible when scientific rigor is paired with deep respect for community leadership,” said Anna Willingshofer, Chief Science and Innovation Officer at Tandem Global. “Their commitment to long-term stewardship and cultural integrity exemplifies the kind of partnership that can truly transform climate ambition into meaningful, measurable impact on the ground.”

The generosity of communities

At the core of The Earth Lab’s work is the generosity of communities. Across Mexico, ejidos (cooperative farms) have shared their knowledge, traditions and governance systems to co-create solutions that deliver benefits far beyond their territories. From women-led mangrove restoration in Chiapas to cultural stewardship in Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and intergenerational decision-making, within community assemblies—each example shows how generosity becomes meaningful action.

These experiences remind us that climate action is not only about carbon accounting—it is also about identity, biodiversity, and justice. The Earth Lab’s projects protect ecosystems ranging from the jaguar’s biological corridor to mangrove forests that store vast amounts of blue carbon. By combining biodiversity protection with local leadership, these efforts demonstrate that social and ecological integrity are inseparable and may reach global recognition.

Deepening the impact

This collaboration reaffirms a long-term commitment to responsibility, equity, and transparency.

“Every step we take with Tandem Global strengthens the link between global climate goals and local realities,” said Jorge Calderón, Founder and Director of The Earth Lab. “Our communities are far more than participants, they are the heartbeat of sustainability, leading knowledge, culture, and a commitment that will endure for generations.”

Looking ahead

For The Earth Lab, this next chapter focuses on scaling up: expanding community-driven portfolios, advancing biodiversity monitoring systems, and developing investment pathways for companies seeking verifiable, additional, and high-integrity carbon credits.

With a 100-year commitment to stewardship, The Earth Lab aims to ensure that biodiversity thrives, cultures are honored, and communities prosper. This long-term vision shows that when climate action is rooted in generosity and integrity, it can create a legacy of resilience and well-being for generations to come.

Together, The Earth Lab and Tandem Global continue to prove that climate solutions can be measurable, equitable, community-led, and lasting—reflecting a partnership that grows stronger with time and continues to focus on creating impact where it matters most: with people and nature at the center.

Tangible results on-the-ground

The Ejido Sisal, with a carbon project co-developed by The Earth Lab, has achieved two consecutive international certifications under the WHC Conservation Certification^®, powered by Tandem Global. The project was recognized for efforts across multiple categories, including habitat management, species protection, education and awareness, and sustainable practices. In 2023, The Ejido Sisal was honored with the Tandem Global Marine Intertidal Project Award, and in 2025, it achieved a renewed WHC Certification, reaffirming its leadership in biodiversity stewardship and community-based conservation. These milestones highlight both technical excellence and the long-term commitment of local communities.

Beyond certifications, The Earth Lab has established a strong track record through Earth Charrettes — participatory processes designed to bring together communities, technical experts, and stakeholders to map priorities, share knowledge, and co-create sustainability strategies. Alongside these Charrettes, The Earth Lab continues to lead training programs and partnerships with Indigenous and rural communities as well as with other strategic stakeholders, ensuring that knowledge is shared, capacities are strengthened, and local leadership remains at the core of every initiative.

Visit The Earth Lab website

Visit Tandem Global website

By Luca Rossi, President of Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group

AI isn’t the next electricity or Wi-Fi. It’s the next water.

In his 2015 book Water 4.0, David Sedlak reminds us how revolutionary running water was. For most of history, people hauled buckets from rivers or wells. Then plumbing arrived, and suddenly clean water flowed into every home. It transformed health, hygiene, and even how homes and cities were designed. And soon, people stopped thinking of it as technology. It just became part of life.

Sedlak says the next revolution in water won’t come from bigger plants alone, but from combining central systems with more decentralized solutions: rooftop capture, neighborhood recycling, local reuse. Resilience comes from distributing capabilities, letting water flow to where it’s needed most.

This reflects what Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang calls hybrid AI: public, personal, and enterprise AI working together. These forms of AI will coexist and complement each other to fit different needs for different customers in efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, security and privacy protection, and sustainability.

That’s exactly how we see the future of AI. Not locked in one cloud, not trapped in a single device, but balanced across the cloud, edge, and every device you use. Sometimes local for privacy and speed, sometimes cloud for scale, always working together. Like water, AI should flow seamlessly across your environment, becoming exactly what you need in the moment. Invisible when you don’t need it, indispensable when you do.

The quiet constant: ambient intelligence

And this is where the idea of ambient intelligence comes in. Imagine an AI that doesn’t sit in a single app or silo but instead flows everywhere you are. It listens when you ask, notices when you don’t, and surfaces the right insights at the right time. It removes the friction between intent and action. This is the next stage: AI as a quiet, constant companion across your digital environment. It’s always-on, always-adaptive, always there when you need it most.

Our vision means one AI that integrates intuitively across multiple devices. A personal intelligence that flows across your PC, phone, tablet, and wearable, continuously enriched by each of these endpoints, so your context evolves and adapts with you. It’s balanced across the cloud, edge and device: local when speed and privacy matter, cloud when scale is required. Most importantly, it’s more secure and always under your control.

This is what Yuanqing has described as the Personal AI twin: a digital counterpart that continuously learns and adapts to fully understand your needs, preferences, and behaviors. The same principle applies to the Enterprise AI twin, trained on organizational data and policies to reflect its goals and priorities. Together, these twins ensure that ambient intelligence is both everywhere and uniquely yours.

And I want to emphasize again the security of these tools and how we protect privacy. We treat trust as the mindset and foundation for every innovation and solution Lenovo develops. Our vision for ambient intelligence is no exception.

The five behaviors of ambient intelligence

And when intelligence flows across our lives, it shows up in the moments that matter most.

The best technology doesn’t call attention to itself. Like water through pipes, it adapts to your needs in the moment: quiet, constant, and indispensable. These are the moments when AI stops being technology you use and starts feeling like part of life: anticipating before you ask, responding in context, turning intent into action, catching you up on what you missed, and creating spaces where you can fully immerse yourself in work, play, or creativity.

We’ve mapped out five archetypical behaviors – proactive, reactive, interactive, retrospective, and immersive – that define when intelligence shifts from being a tool you open to a companion you live and work with.

Living with ambient intelligence

Your on-device AI is always on, at times proactive in the background, flagging your to-do list and priority tasks. On the way to work, it may remind you about the call you scheduled but forgot to confirm, even drafting talking points so you arrive fully prepared.

Throughout the day, it’s also reactive, responding instantly to your queries. Think of it as intelligence that adapts in context, whatever’s in front of you. You point your phone or move your cursor over an item, and it gives you additional relevant information about it.

When you need to move something forward, it becomes interactive. You might hand off a draft to colleagues, set a reminder, or sync updates across devices, and it happens seamlessly. You don’t need to manage the mechanics. Your intent becomes action.

If you’ve stepped away for a meeting, it becomes retrospective. It summarizes unread messages, highlights three project updates, and even replays the last few minutes of the meeting you had to leave early. You’re caught up in moments, ready for the next thing you to do.

And when you need some peace and quiet, the fifth behavior is key. It creates an immersive space where distractions quiet, and “flow mode” takes over your devices. Your environment shifts to support your work, play, or creativity. Whether gaming or drafting a presentation, you feel more present, more capable, more in the zone.

By the end of the day, you’ve lived alongside a type of intelligence that flows continuously across your devices, adapting at every step.

One AI, many devices: the Super Agent vision

The ever-present AI reality is closer than you think. We already have strong foundations in moto ai, Lenovo AI Now, Smart Connect, and more, having integrated capabilities where intelligence is embedded in your devices, connected across platforms, and balanced between cloud and edge.

Tomorrow, those pieces converge into something larger: a unified AI layer that integrates perception, action, and presence across devices. This unification is closely aligned with what Lenovo CTO Tolga Kurtoglu has described as the AI Super Agent, a cognitive operating system that orchestrates multiple AI domain-specific agents.

In the personal sphere, that same orchestrated intelligence means one AI that understands what you need, when and where you need it (that is, perception). It then acts on your behalf, in the cloud, across devices, and with your services. But just as importantly, it’s always present via the five archetypal behaviors — a virtual presence intimately connected with individuals and organizations, like an extension of yourself with your intellect, working as your twin. It continuously adapts to your context and seamlessly integrates into your daily routines. Our aspiration is one AI, multiple devices: a super agent that can see what you see, hear what you hear, think as you would think, and act as you would act – all with your permission. Over time, it will get smarter and more like the user, eventually becoming a Personal AI twin.

That’s the opportunity ahead for AI. To stop being something you open in an app, and start becoming something that flows across every moment, adapting to you, balancing across cloud, edge, and device. It’s the shift from tools to presence.

And as Bruce Lee once said, “Be like water making its way through cracks.” Water adapts to its environment, takes the shape of what holds it, and flows to where it’s needed most. That’s exactly how we believe AI should work: invisible when you don’t need it, indispensable when you do.