Hunger Is Spreading Rapidly Across Afghanistan, Says WFP
The World Food Programme on Sunday warned of a sharp deterioration in Afghanistan’s hunger crisis, saying food insecurity and malnutrition are spreading across the country at an alarming pace.
The World Food Programme on Sunday warned of a sharp deterioration in Afghanistan’s hunger crisis, saying food insecurity and malnutrition are spreading across the country at an alarming pace.
Earlier, John Aylieff, the WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, told Agence France-Presse that 2025 had already seen the highest surge in child malnutrition recorded in the country since the start of the 21st century.
He said the number of malnourished children could rise to four million this year, a figure the agency has previously highlighted as a looming crisis. “These children will die if they’re not treated,” Aylieff warned.
The WFP said it needs about $390 million over the next six months to provide food assistance to six million Afghans. Aylieff cautioned, however, that the prospects of securing the required funding are “very low” amid declining international support.
According to WFP data, around five million mothers and children in Afghanistan are currently suffering from malnutrition. The country ranks fourth globally for acute child malnutrition.
The agency has also warned that more than 17 million Afghans face severe food insecurity, particularly during the winter months, with the crisis compounded by widespread acute malnutrition.
Figures show hunger is worsening compared with last year, with an additional three million Afghans at risk of acute hunger in 2026, underscoring what the WFP has described as one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.
