UN warns worsening drought threatens farming in half of Afghanistan

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has sounded the alarm over a worsening drought crisis in Afghanistan, warning that prolonged dry conditions are severely affecting agriculture and livestock across at least half of the country.

In a new report based on satellite imagery and field assessments, the FAO identified the northern, northwestern, and northeastern regions as the hardest hit, noting that the situation is “deteriorating rapidly” and likely to spread further in the coming months.

“Drought has become a serious threat to the survival of farming and herding families in many parts of Afghanistan,” the report said. Years of insufficient rainfall have eroded soil moisture, decimated pastures, and weakened local economies.

Meanwhile, the effects of climate change have compounded the crisis, undermining the resilience of rural communities and pushing vulnerable families closer to the brink.

The FAO has appealed for $34.5 million in emergency funding to support more than 1 million people in 16 drought-affected provinces, including Bamyan, Ghor, Herat, Balkh, Faryab, Jawzjan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Daikundi, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Ghazni, Nangarhar, Paktika, and Panjshir.

The report also warned of rising cases of livestock disease—particularly foot-and-mouth disease—adding to the pressure on farming communities already struggling with dwindling feed and water supplies.

Rain-fed agriculture has largely failed in many areas, while irrigated farming is also under threat due to falling groundwater levels and ongoing water scarcity. As a result, food production has been severely curtailed, increasing the risk of food insecurity across wide swathes of the country.

Beyond its immediate impact on crops and livestock, the drought is expected to deepen related challenges, including access to clean water, public health, displacement, environmental degradation, and the reintegration of returnees.

The FAO has called for urgent international assistance to help mitigate the crisis and avert a deepening humanitarian emergency in rural Afghanistan.