WFP warns funding cuts could leave millions of Afghans facing extreme hunger

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that drastic global funding cuts could push millions of people around the world, including Afghans, deeper into hunger, as food assistance reaches its lowest levels in years.

In a new report released from Rome, WFP said its operations in Afghanistan are among the six hardest hit by a 40 percent drop in global funding, with resources shrinking from $9.8 billion in 2024 to $6.4 billion this year. The agency cautioned that without urgent financial support, “life-saving assistance to households in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) is at risk.”

According to the WFP, less than 10 percent of Afghans in need are currently receiving food aid, despite soaring levels of malnutrition, widespread unemployment, and worsening poverty. Millions of Afghan families rely on WFP distributions as their primary source of food, particularly during harsh winters and amid ongoing economic isolation.

“The humanitarian system [globally] is under severe strain as partners pull back from frontline locations, creating a vacuum,” the report said. “Programme coverage has been slashed and rations cut.”

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the situation as catastrophic. “The world is facing hunger issues on a scale never seen before – and the funds needed to help us respond are woefully insufficient.”

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) — the UN-backed system that monitors global hunger — warns that the funding gap could push up to 13.7 million people from “Crisis” to “Emergency” levels of food insecurity in countries like Afghanistan.

Humanitarian officials say the crisis has been worsened by cuts to international aid, including the sharp reduction in U.S. foreign assistance earlier this year under President Donald Trump’s administration. The move has crippled humanitarian operations across several regions, including Afghanistan, which remains heavily dependent on external support.

WFP officials in Kabul said the agency is being forced to make “impossible choices,” prioritizing the most vulnerable groups — women-headed households, children, and the elderly — while cutting assistance to others equally in need.

Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than 15 million people experiencing acute food insecurity. Economic collapse, drought, and limited job opportunities have deepened hunger in both rural and urban areas.

The UN formally declared a famine in Gaza earlier this year, while the WFP said Wednesday that the number of people categorised as “in famine or on the brink” has doubled in just two years to 1.4 million across five countries.

Rising hunger levels not only put lives at risk but also undermine regional stability and fuel the displacement of communities, McCain said.

“We are at risk of losing decades of progress in the fight against hunger,” she said.

The WFP urged donor nations to step forward with renewed funding commitments to prevent further deterioration, stressing that sustained humanitarian support is essential – especially in Afghanistan where efforts are needed to avert a large-scale famine this winter.