Afghanistan | World Food Programme (original) (raw)
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most severe hunger crises.
The country is experiencing the sharpest surge in malnutrition ever recorded, with 4.9 million mothers and children expected to be malnourished in 2026.
Afghans continue to grapple with the consequences of four decades of conflict, compounded by an economic crisis, entrenched poverty, frequent environmental disasters, and increasingly erratic weather patterns and recurrent drought.
On top of these multiple challenges, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan in August 2025, killing hundreds of people and injuring or otherwise affecting thousands more.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the hunger crisis, as they are pushed further to the fringes of society. The World Food Programme prioritizes women-headed families.
However, a massive decline is funding is severely hampering WFP's operations.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Afghanistan
Emergency response
WFP delivers life-saving emergency food assistance to families facing multiple compounding vulnerabilities, many of whom have no other means of survival. Nine out of ten heads of households selected for assistance are illiterate, one in five are widows and one in ten are living with disabilities. Women and children make 80 percent of those reached. WFP further treats malnourished mothers and their children in clinics. We help prevent malnutrition and stunting, distributing specialized nutritious food to families with children and providing emergency food assistance to mothers.