UN Aid Agency Warns Millions Face Deepening Hunger Crisis in Afghanistan

KABUL — Nearly 16 million people in Afghanistan are facing crisis-level hunger, with approximately 3.4 million living in emergency conditions, a United Nations aid coordination office spokesperson announced on Tuesday following a field visit across the country.

Speaking from Kabul, spokesperson Olga Cherevko stated that despite food availability in local markets and improvements in harvests, families remain unable to afford essential sustenance. According to the UN-supported Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), record levels of acute malnutrition were recorded between August and October, with projections indicating that hunger could impact around 19 million people once winter begins next month.

Cherevko noted that the food security crisis is largely driven by a lack of purchasing power, limited income opportunities, and reduced access to basic services following years of conflict, economic hardship, and drought. She warned that humanitarian aid alone cannot indefinitely substitute for broader economic opportunity and essential public services, calling for immediate investment in agriculture, rural livelihoods, water systems, and local markets.

The agency also highlighted the impact of restrictions placed on women and girls by the Taliban. Citing findings from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Cherevko noted that current restrictions could lead to a loss of up to 20,000 women teachers and 5,400 female health workers by 2030, which directly undermines maternal health, education, and family nutrition.

According to the UN, humanitarian partners provided at least one form of assistance to 8.3 million Afghans between January and July. Current efforts include education initiatives by UNICEF, food distribution and malnutrition treatment by the World Food Programme, and essential healthcare delivery by the World Health Organization.

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