UN seeks $650m to combat hunger crisis in Afghanistan

WFP warns that over 9.5 million people are currently facing severe food insecurity across the country.

Published

9 months ago

June 11, 2025

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is urgently appealing for $650 million in emergency funding to continue its humanitarian operations in Afghanistan through the end of 2025.

The agency warns that over 9.5 million people are currently facing severe food insecurity across the country.

The situation is especially dire for women and children.

WFP reports that 4.6 million mothers and children are suffering from malnutrition, and two-thirds of households led by women are unable to afford even the most basic food staples.

Afghan women and girls—already severely impacted by restrictions on education, employment, and public life—are among those most vulnerable.

Although previous food aid has helped prevent famine, a dramatic drop in international funding has forced the WFP to scale back.

In May, the agency halted all emergency food distributions and now expects to reach just one million people during the summer months—leaving an estimated 8.5 million Afghans without assistance.

The nutrition crisis is equally alarming. This year alone, 3.5 million children under five and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are in urgent need of nutritional support, the agency said.

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Mahdi Ansary, local journalist, released from prison

Published

3 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Ariana News

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has announced that Mahdi Ansary, a reporter for the Afghan News Agency (AFKA), has been released after serving one and a half years in Bagram prison.

In a statement welcoming his release, AFJC emphasized that the fundamental rights of this journalist—who had been tried and imprisoned on charges of cooperating with exiled and foreign media—were “seriously” violated.

Ansari was arrested on October 5, 2023, after returning from his workplace in Kabul.

He was sentenced on January 1, 2024 by the Kabul Primary Court to one and a half years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Emirate.”

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Pakistan’s rocket attacks still ongoing on Nari district, Kunar

Published

5 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Ariana News

Farid Dehqan, spokesperson for the Khas Kunar police command, said that rocket attacks by the Pakistani military regime are still ongoing in the province.

According to Dehqan, last night the Pakistani military fired approximately 25 shells in several areas of Nari district, Kunar, and they struck their targets. Heavy weapon fire is also reportedly continuing.

These attacks come despite earlier announcements by the Pakistani military of a temporary ceasefire for Eid.

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IEA defense ministry accuses Pakistan of ceasefire violations

Published

8 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces, Fasihuddin Fitrat, said in his Eid message that Pakistan’s military regime has violated the ceasefire along the Durand line.

According to the Eid message released by the Ministry of Defense, several civilians were killed in attacks carried out by Pakistani forces in border areas.

Fitrat added that the continuation of Pakistan’s attacks despite the ceasefire “demonstrates a lack of commitment and deception” on the part of the country.

He stressed that the Islamic Emirate has refrained from retaliatory action in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation and has remained committed to the ceasefire.

However, he warned that if such attacks are repeated, “the ceasefire will become meaningless,” and the Islamic Emirate will deliver a “decisive response” to Pakistan’s actions.

It is worth noting that the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan reached a temporary ceasefire on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr through mediation by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.