The United Nations issued a dire warning on Tuesday that Afghanistan confronts an escalating humanitarian catastrophe, with over 17 million people experiencing acute food insecurity as winter approaches. This alarming figure represents a dramatic increase of three million compared to the previous year’s statistics.
Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the UN’s World Food Programme, emphasized the critical nature of the situation during a Geneva press briefing. ‘The situation is deteriorating rapidly, and immediate intervention is crucial as Afghanistan enters the winter season when humanitarian needs peak,’ Bauer stated from WFP’s Rome headquarters.
The crisis stems from multiple compounding factors including severe drought conditions that have devastated agricultural production and livestock, destructive earthquakes that have pushed countless families into poverty, and significant reductions in international aid. Further exacerbating the situation, the forced repatriation of more than 2.5 million Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan throughout 2025 has placed unprecedented strain on the nation’s already limited resources and infrastructure.
Among the most vulnerable populations are nearly four million children suffering from acute malnutrition, creating a lost generation facing irreversible developmental impacts. The WFP anticipates similar refugee return rates in 2026, potentially worsening the crisis.
Currently, the organization faces critical funding shortages, with only 12 percent of necessary financial resources secured for its Afghan operations. This financial deficit has prevented standard winter preparedness measures, including pre-positioning food supplies in high-risk communities.
Bauer urgently appealed for international donor support, specifying that $570 million is required over the next six months to provide essential assistance to approximately six million vulnerable Afghans. He stressed the importance of maintaining global attention on Afghanistan’s plight to prevent the most extreme consequences of this growing emergency.