Over 17 Million in Afghanistan Face Severe Hunger as Winter Approaches, Warns WFP
Over 17 million people in Afghanistan face severe food insecurity this winter, with malnutrition rising sharply, as WFP warns urgent humanitarian assistance is critically needed.
The World Food Programme has warned that more than 17 million Afghans are facing severe food insecurity as winter approaches, marking a sharp deterioration from last year’s conditions.
According to WFP’s latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report released Tuesday, acute hunger has worsened nationwide, placing three million more people at risk compared with the previous year.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted that nearly four million Afghanistan children are at risk of acute malnutrition, stressing that access to healthcare and nutritional support remains critically low. Similarly, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that returning migrants face extreme poverty and food shortages, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
The agency estimates that nearly four million Afghan children will suffer from acute malnutrition during the coming winter, warning that untreated cases could lead to a rise in child deaths.
John Ayliff, WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, said the organisation has repeatedly warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis, adding that new data confirms those fears as mortality risks increase.
Multiple shocks are compounding the crisis, including prolonged drought affecting half the country, economic collapse, job losses, recent earthquakes, and the forced return of over 2.5 million migrants from Iran and Pakistan.
Despite soaring needs, humanitarian funding for Afghanistan is declining. WFP says it urgently requires $468 million to deliver life-saving food assistance to six million of the country’s most vulnerable people through the harsh winter ahead.
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