Over 17 million Afghans are facing acute food insecurity this winter, as hunger and malnutrition intensify across the country, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. This represents an increase of three million people compared to last year, with nearly four million children projected to suffer from malnutrition in the coming year. With child malnutrition already at record levels and funding for essential services severely reduced, access to life-saving treatment is increasingly limited, raising the risk of child deaths during the harsh winter months.
John Aylieff, WFP Country Director in Afghanistan, highlighted the dire situation, noting that families are skipping meals for days and taking extreme measures to survive. The convergence of multiple crises—including drought affecting half the country, job losses, a weakened economy, and recent earthquakes—has left many Afghans without basic necessities, intensifying humanitarian needs.
Forced returns from Pakistan and Iran are further worsening the crisis, with 2.5 million Afghans sent back this year, many arriving malnourished and destitute, and nearly as many expected to return in 2026. The shrinking scale of humanitarian aid leaves millions without support that has historically mitigated severe hunger and malnutrition.
For the first time in decades, WFP cannot simultaneously launch a major winter response while scaling up emergency and nutrition support nationwide. Immediate funding is critical to mount a large-scale winter response, providing life-saving food assistance to vulnerable communities. WFP urgently requires US$468 million to deliver aid to six million of Afghanistan’s most at-risk people, helping them survive the winter and avoid a deepening humanitarian disaster.
