KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an urgent appeal for $451 million to support vulnerable families across Afghanistan over the next six months.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the UN food agency said that nearly one-third of Afghanistan’s population is facing hunger.
“Afghanistan is not 100 people. It is 46 million people, of which nearly one-third grapple with hunger,” WFP wrote. “If Afghanistan were 100 people, 50 would need humanitarian assistance to survive.”
The agency said the requested funds are critical to help the country’s most vulnerable as Afghanistan endures one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The country is experiencing its fourth consecutive year of drought, economic decline, and recurring natural disasters. The recent mass deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan has only worsened the already fragile situation.
According to UN agencies, more than 2.4 million people have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries since late 2023. Many of them have arrived with little or no resources.
The UN estimates that nearly 23 million people—mostly women and children—will need humanitarian assistance in 2025. WFP projects that 3.5 million children will suffer from malnutrition this year, or one child every ten seconds.
Despite the growing needs, humanitarian funding continues to fall short. The UN’s $3.06 billion appeal for 2024 was only about 40% funded, while its current $2.42 billion appeal for 2025 is just 13.3% funded as of April.
Humanitarian agencies warn that unless more support is secured, the decline in international aid will deepen Afghanistan’s already critical crisis.
