Afghanistan among worst-affected nations by food insecurity

Afghanistan has been named one of the nine worst-affected countries grappling with severe food insecurity, with over one million people facing emergency levels of hunger, according to the Global Report on Food Crises 2025 (GRFC) issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The report, compiled by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) and partner organizations, paints a grim picture of worsening conditions across the country.

The report estimates that 3.6 million Afghans will face Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4 conditions this year — just one step below famine.

This places Afghanistan alongside countries like Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Pakistan, where war, economic instability, and climate-related disasters are driving millions into hunger.

Sudan currently leads the list, with a staggering 8.5 million people in IPC Phase 4 and an additional 800,000 experiencing famine-level hunger (IPC Phase 5).

In Afghanistan, the World Food Program (WFP) described the report’s findings as “not the records we want to break.”

While there have been minor improvements in food access over the past year, the sharp drop in humanitarian funding remains a critical concern.

The report warns that financial shortfalls, coupled with ongoing insecurity, are placing vital nutrition and health services—particularly for children—at serious risk.

Humanitarian funding globally is projected to fall by up to 45% in 2025, a trend that could have devastating consequences for low-income and crisis-affected countries like Afghanistan.

The WFP has urged the international community to act swiftly, warning that without sustained donor support, the situation could deteriorate even further.

The report attributes Afghanistan’s deepening food crisis to a combination of economic collapse, widespread poverty, and the fragile governance landscape following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power.

The withdrawal of development aid and ongoing banking restrictions have only intensified the crisis.

Despite efforts by humanitarian agencies to scale back and prioritize the most vulnerable populations, current resources are far from adequate to meet the growing needs.

The report calls on international stakeholders to keep food security at the forefront of their global agenda and to take decisive action to prevent a worsening catastrophe—not just in Afghanistan, but in all high-risk countries.