UN projects 19.2 million Afghans facing acute food insecurity this winter

More than 19 million people in Afghanistan are expected to face acute food insecurity during the coming winter, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.

Between September and October, 15.9 million people—nearly one in three Afghans—were facing food insecurity at crisis levels or worse. Of them, 3.4 million were in emergency conditions, according to the UN humanitarian coordination agency, OCHA.

The situation is expected to worsen further during the winter season, which runs from November through April.

“The number facing acute food insecurity is projected to rise to 19.2 million, of which 5 million are expected to face emergency levels of hunger… one step away from famine,” said OCHA Afghanistan spokeswoman Olga Cherevko.

“We must act before winter, not after families have exhausted all the options. That means getting food assistance to people in need, protecting livestock and productive assets, supporting farmers before critical planting windows close, and keeping essential health, nutrition and water services accessible.”

OCHA warned that more than 4 million babies and children under six will require treatment for malnutrition next year. Over 1 million are expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition, according to Cherevko.

“These numbers represent children whose parents cannot afford nutritious food and families whose ability to cope has been worn down by years of conflict, economic hardship, drought and other shocks.”

Shrinking aid

Amid the hunger crisis, around one-third of nutrition sites across Afghanistan have closed or suspended services, largely because of funding cuts, Cherevko said.

“Once these services disappear, the consequences could be irreversible, particularly for children.”

International aid to Afghanistan has declined sharply since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, including restrictions on women’s access to education and public life. The Taliban government remains largely isolated from the international community, which criticizes its repressive policies.

The UN said it had received less than 30 percent of the funding required to provide lifesaving assistance as of late August.

The humanitarian crisis has been compounded by natural disasters and the forced return of millions of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan since 2023.

Cherevko said humanitarian aid could save lives but could not indefinitely compensate for the absence of economic opportunity and public services.

Improved rainfall and agricultural production this year have helped boost food availability, but a single successful harvest cannot undo the damage caused by several years of drought, she said.

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