KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) says that nearly 15 million people, or at least one-third of the population in Afghanistan, will require food assistance for their survival this winter.
In an interview with The Independent on Tuesday, December 3, WFP spokesperson Philippe Kropf warned that Afghanistan is facing crisis or emergency levels of hunger with winter approaching.
“Winter is when hunger bites hardest in Afghanistan and WFP expects nearly 15 million people or nearly a third of the population of Afghanistan to be in need of food assistance for survival,” Philippe said.
He said that children, in particular, will face dire survival conditions in the coming winter and year, adding that WFP estimates 3.45 million children will be malnourished in 2025, an increase of 570,000 compared to this year.
Save the Children’s country director in Afghanistan, Arshad Malik, was quoted in the report saying that as winter approaches, families in some parts of the country are facing “agonizing choices” about whether to prioritize food, heating, or warm clothes for their children.
“One family said that they are worried about how they are going to survive the winter and make sure their children even have just bread to eat,” he said.
WFP’s spokesperson told The Independent that the organization will need $787 million this winter to alleviate the crisis and prevent vulnerable families in Afghanistan from succumbing to starvation and poverty.
Afghanistan has been struggling with a severe humanitarian crisis for years, even before the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Since then, the situation has worsened, with nearly 24 million people, more than half of the population, now in need of lifesaving aid.
In recent years, the country has faced multiple natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, and landslides, which, in addition to the human toll, have caused significant financial losses for an already impoverished population.
Moreover, the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from neighboring Iran and Pakistan over the past year has exacerbated the situation, as they return to Afghanistan with almost nothing, while the Taliban has been unable to manage the crisis.
Meanwhile, the international community has yet to meet Afghanistan’s humanitarian funding needs. The UN’s $3 billion humanitarian appeal for the country in 2024 remains significantly underfunded, with only 37.5% of the funds secured as of November 27, according to the UN.
