The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a dire need for $760 million in food assistance for Afghanistan over the next six months, amid growing international concerns about widespread poverty in the country.

In a recent post on X, the organization stated that millions of people in Afghanistan are suffering from severe hunger, with over half of the estimated 43 million population forced to reduce their food intake.

Findings from the World Food Programme indicate that at least 16 million people in Afghanistan experience daily concerns about having enough food.

Afghanistan faces one of the most serious humanitarian crises globally, a crisis that is typically exacerbated during winter due to road closures.

Forced deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, such as Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, has intensified, with more than half a million Afghans deported by Pakistani officials since October 2023, despite harsh winter conditions.

Many of the returnees are confronted with numerous challenges, including inadequate access to water, shelter, and medical care, along with a scarcity of job opportunities and an uncertain future.

Furthermore, the severe earthquake that struck Herat province in October last year further exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children, who faced heightened levels of malnutrition.

However, the officials in the Ministry of Economy say that they do not agree with the statistics published by foreign organizations. The ministry has also said that the international community should stop worrying about Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation and instead lift banking sanctions and release the country’s frozen assets.

Economic experts consider the continuation of international aid to the people of Afghanistan to be effective and say that this aid should continue until the country’s economic situation improves.

According to them, when the international community starts working on development projects, the process of poverty alleviation will be accelerated.

The World Food Program warned last year that Afghanistan is at the highest risk of famine and needs $800 million dollars.