Latest News
WFP says aid cuts to Afghanistan leave millions hungry this winter
The head of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan says the agency can only feed half the millions of Afghans in need after cuts in international aid and an impending freeze in U.S. foreign funding.
Many people were living on just “bread and tea”, WFP Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters.
Afghanistan was tipped to the brink of economic crisis in 2021 as the Islamic Emirate took over and all development and security assistance to the country was frozen, with restrictions also placed on the banking sector.
Since then humanitarian aid – aimed at funding urgent needs through non-profit organisations and bypassing government control – has filled some of the gap. But donors have been cutting steadily in recent years, concerned by IEA restrictions on women, including their order that Afghan female NGO employees stop work, and competing global crises.
Lee told Reuters shortly before finishing her three-year term in Afghanistan that funding cuts had meant that roughly half the 15 million Afghans in acute need of food were not receiving rations during this year’s harsh winter.
“That’s over 6 million people who are probably eating one or two meals a day and it’s just bread and tea,” she said in an interview on Saturday. “Unfortunately this is what the situation looks like for so many that have been removed from assistance.”
Afghanistan’s humanitarian plan was only just over half funded in 2024, according to U.N. data, and aid officials have flagged fears this could fall further this year.
The U.S. State Department issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a cable reported by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy.
It was not immediately clear how that would impact Afghanistan’s humanitarian operations, which in 2024 were over 40% funded by the United States, the largest donor.
“I think any potential reduction in assistance for Afghanistan is of course concerning…whether it is assistance to WFP or another actor,” Lee said.
“The levels of need are just so high here in Afghanistan. I certainly hope that any decisions made, any implementation of decisions made take into consideration the needs of the people – the women, the children,” she said.
Western diplomats and humanitarian officials have said aid is dropping to Afghanistan in part due to global emergencies in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza and also because of concerns with IEA restrictions on women.
Lee said the operating environment had been a “rollercoaster” in the last three years, but that WFP was trying to prove to donors concerned about the plethora of restrictions on women that they were still reaching female beneficiaries and their children with aid.
The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held talks with Bjørn Johansen, Norway’s newly appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan, focusing on political and regional developments.
In the meeting, Johansen said Norway maintains historic ties with Afghanistan and has consistently sought to play a constructive role in supporting stability in the country, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
He noted what he described as noticeable progress in Afghanistan in areas including security, counter-narcotics efforts, and other sectors, adding that further cooperation should be expanded through the normalization of relations with the international community.
Muttaqi, welcomed Norway’s continued engagement and cooperation with the Islamic Emirate, saying that the current stability in Afghanistan should be utilized effectively. He also emphasized that progress made by the Afghan authorities could help broaden future cooperation.
The Government of Slovenia has contributed €200,000 to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support humanitarian work in Afghanistan, focusing on reproductive health and protection services for women and girls.
According to UNFPA, the funding will help expand access to essential maternal and reproductive health care across the country, particularly in areas where services remain limited and humanitarian needs are high.
UNFPA said the support will be used to reach vulnerable women and girls with life-saving health assistance and protection services as part of its ongoing response in Afghanistan.
The contribution comes as international aid agencies continue efforts to sustain basic health services amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges in the country.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations by Pakistani officials claiming that attacks inside Pakistan were planned from Afghan territory, describing the allegations as “baseless.”
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan believes regional issues should be addressed through dialogue, mutual respect, and genuine cooperation rather than accusations, emotional rhetoric, or threats.
He reaffirmed that Afghan territory would not be used against any country and stressed that no group or individual would be allowed to carry out activities that threaten regional peace and stability.
The remarks came after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad on Monday and handed over a formal protest note regarding an attack on a police post in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani authorities alleged that the attack had been planned from inside Afghanistan.
According to reports, the explosion occurred on Saturday evening in the Fathkhel area of Bannu, killing 15 police officers and injuring four others, including one civilian.
US war in Iran has cost $29 billion so far, Pentagon says
Tahawol: China’s optimism on Kabul–Islamabad talks discussed
Saar: IEA high-ranking delegation’s visit to Kazan discussed
Muttaqi meets Norway’s new special envoy, discusses political and regional cooperation
UNICEF reports 70 children killed in West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2025
Bayat Power extends gas supply deal with Afghan Gas
New Afghanistan-China transport corridor launched via Turkmenistan
Germany to launch online visa system for Afghan study and work applicants in Pakistan
Afghanistan moves toward self-sufficiency in car battery production
War driving hidden climate crisis in Middle East, think tank warns
Tahawol: China’s optimism on Kabul–Islamabad talks discussed
Saar: IEA high-ranking delegation’s visit to Kazan discussed
Tahawol: Fresh Remarks About Ending the Ukraine War
Saar: US and Iran Negotiations Discussed
Tahawol: Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s growing economic ties discussed
-
Business5 days agoNew Afghanistan-China transport corridor launched via Turkmenistan
-
Sport4 days agoCanada to host opening ceremony for FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto
-
Latest News4 days agoSAARC failure pushes Pakistan toward trilateral ties with Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh: Dar
-
Latest News2 days agoJapan announces MEXT scholarships for Afghan students for 2027 academic year
-
Business3 days agoAfghanistan, Uzbekistan sign 13 trade MoUs worth over $100 million
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan rises 7 places to 21st in FIFA Futsal World Rankings
-
Science & Technology5 days agoJames Webb Telescope captures clearest-ever view of exoplanet’s surface
-
Sport4 days agoLos Angeles to welcome the world with historic FIFA World Cup 2026 opening event