KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The government of France has allocated €3 million ($3.3 million) to support the World Food Programme’s (WFP) school feeding and nutrition initiatives in Afghanistan.
In a statement on Wednesday, November 13, the WFP said that the new contribution will enable the organization to provide healthy daily snacks to more than 15,000 primary school students across Afghanistan.
Additionally, more than 35,000 students will receive monthly take-home rations of vegetable oil, while nearly 60,000 young children and over 10,000 pregnant or breastfeeding mothers will be provided with specialized nutritious food.
“This contribution comes at a critical moment for Afghan mothers and children who are hardest hit by the hunger crisis,” said Harald Mannhardt, WFP Deputy Country Director in Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is a global hunger hotspot with more than a quarter of the population going hungry and nine out of ten women-headed families cannot afford enough food,” he added.
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the humanitarian situation in the country has significantly worsened, making it one of the world’s most critical crises. According to the UN, nearly 24 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance.
Women and children face heightened challenges due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education, employment, and freedom of movement.
According to Save the Children, more than 6 million children—six out of ten—are facing emergency levels of hunger, with nearly 3 million suffering from acute malnutrition.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan are facing one of the most severe funding shortfalls in recent years. The UN reports that its $3.1 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan this year has only been 37% funded so far.
The WFP says that, due to a funding crisis, it was only able to provide food to 2 million women and children this year to prevent malnutrition. Last year, the agency was unable to assist 10 million people, contributing to a rise in malnutrition rates across the country.
According to the WFP report, France’s latest $3.3 million contribution brings its total to $6.5 million in 2024, adding to nearly $16 million contributed over the past two years. Thus, France remains one of the top ten contributors to the WFP in Afghanistan.
