The WFP has reiterated its urgent call for US$650 million to sustain operations through the end of 2025. Without this funding, humanitarian workers warn, the situation could devolve into a full-scale famine, with children and women bearing the brunt.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded a dire warning about Afghanistan’s escalating hunger crisis, as an economic downturn, recurring droughts, and the forced return of thousands of Afghan migrants strain the country’s fragile infrastructure and limited resources. The United Nations-affiliated agency estimates that without immediate funding, millions will face severe hunger in the coming months.

In its latest report, the WFP emphasized that the crisis is hitting Afghanistan’s most vulnerable groups hardest—particularly women, children, and returnees from neighbouring countries.

WFP wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Afghanistan’s hunger crisis is growing deeper by the day. Women, children, and returnees are among the hardest hit. WFP urgently needs $539 million to continue reaching those who need us most over the next six months.”

According to WFP communications officer and spokesperson Ziauddin Safi, the organization needs nearly US$540 million over the next six months to sustain its emergency food programs.

“For the next six months, the World Food Programme in Afghanistan needs nearly 540 million US dollars to carry out its programs aimed at reaching the most vulnerable Afghans across the country,” Safi said. Without this support, WFP officials fear a sharp increase in malnutrition, famine-like conditions, and potentially preventable deaths.

A Looming Catastrophe

Currently, 9.5 million people in Afghanistan are classified as severely food insecure. Of these, 4.6 million mothers and children are already suffering from malnutrition. If funding gaps continue, the WFP warns that an additional 3.5 million children under five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women could require urgent, life-saving nutritional support before the end of 2025.

The agency’s recent decision to halt widespread emergency food aid in May 2025 due to financial shortfalls has left only 1 million people receiving support this summer—a dramatic decrease from the more than 9 million women and children assisted last year. As a result, 8.5 million people are now left without essential food assistance.

“Two-thirds of female-headed families cannot afford basic nutrition,” the WFP reported. “Despite restrictions on their freedoms, Afghan women and girls are still coming to our sites for life-saving food and nutrition. But due to funding constraints, we are forced to turn malnourished mothers and children away from our centres.”

International Aid: A Lifeline, But Not a Long-Term Solution

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy acknowledges the essential role humanitarian aid plays in the current climate. Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, emphasized the importance of continued support.

“Humanitarian aid is a serious and essential need under the current circumstances, particularly with the return of migrants from neighbouring countries,” said Nazari. “Our request is that international aid organizations and the global community continue their humanitarian and emergency assistance to the people of Afghanistan.”

Earlier this year, the United Nations appealed for more than US$2 billion to assist approximately 23 million Afghans. However, funding has fallen short, threatening to undo years of progress in staving off famine.

Despite the urgent need, some experts caution against relying on aid alone. Economic analyst Mir Shaker Yaqubi argues that without long-term investment in infrastructure and development, Afghanistan’s economic challenges will persist.

“These aids are humanitarian and prevent a serious crisis, but they cannot in any way be considered as a fundamental solution to Afghanistan’s economic problems,” Yaqubi said. “They become effective when they take on a developmental shape and positively impact welfare and economic comfort.”

Another expert, Sayed Masood, underscored that Afghanistan’s crisis is more political than economic. “We have the facts and elements necessary to grow and organize the economy,” he said. “What’s stopping us is political—particularly the lack of regional and global engagement that prevents developmental projects from moving forward.”

While debate continues over long-term solutions, the immediate crisis grows more acute. The WFP has reiterated its urgent call for US$650 million to sustain operations through the end of 2025. Without this funding, humanitarian workers warn, the situation could devolve into a full-scale famine, with children and women bearing the brunt.

Large-scale food assistance has saved countless lives in Afghanistan in recent years, but the window for continued impact is closing fast. As the economic crisis intensifies and humanitarian resources dwindle, the need for swift and sustained global action has never been more critical.