UN seeks $650m to combat hunger crisis in Afghanistan

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.