The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that Afghanistan’s hunger crisis is worsening, with 14 million people facing acute food insecurity as severe funding shortages leave millions without access to essential food assistance.
In its latest report, the WFP said only one in nine Afghans in need of food assistance is currently receiving support, warning that the gap between humanitarian needs and available funding is growing.
The agency said one in three Afghans is experiencing acute hunger, while child malnutrition has reached critical levels in 12 provinces, placing children and vulnerable families at increasing risk.
WFP attributed the worsening crisis to multiple factors, including unemployment, rising food prices, declining humanitarian funding, economic hardship and disruptions to regional trade routes.
The agency also highlighted the impact of mass returns and deportations from neighboring countries. According to the WFP, nearly six million Afghans have returned or been deported from Iran and Pakistan since September 2023, adding further pressure to Afghanistan’s fragile economy and labor market.
John Ayliffe, WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, said the country lacks the capacity to provide jobs and basic support for millions of returnees. He warned that many families are facing poverty, unemployment and difficulty accessing sufficient food.
Ayliffe said border tensions with Pakistan and instability in the Middle East have disrupted trade routes, contributing to a 20 to 30 percent increase in prices of essential food items and making food less affordable for poor households.
The WFP warned that severe acute malnutrition, the most dangerous form of malnutrition, has reached critical levels in one-third of Afghanistan’s provinces. The agency said 80 percent of the most severe malnutrition cases involve children under the age of two, when the effects of malnutrition can have lifelong consequences.
The agency said humanitarian funding shortages have severely reduced nutrition services. Currently, only one in seven women and children suffering from acute malnutrition can access treatment, while many others are unable to receive support because of limited resources.
The WFP, together with UNICEF, provides nutrition assistance to children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women. However, the agency said that since May 2025, specialized nutritious food used to prevent malnutrition has been suspended due to a lack of funding.
The agency said its emergency food and nutrition programmes in Afghanistan require around $900 million in funding for 2026, while it urgently needs at least $500 million before the end of this year to continue operations, especially ahead of the winter season.
Ayliffe warned that without immediate international support, hunger and malnutrition will continue to worsen, placing millions of Afghans; particularly children, pregnant women and low-income families at greater risk.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with years of economic decline, climate-related disasters and limited access to basic services increasing pressure on vulnerable communities.
