KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Monday that nearly 10 million people in Afghanistan could face hunger this summer, but due to a critical funding shortfall, it is only able to assist a fraction of them.
In a video message posted on X, the UN agency said it only has enough resources to assist one million people out of those in urgent need.
WFP says it is currently distributing emergency food packages, including wheat flour and vegetable oil, to families in areas experiencing the highest levels of food insecurity.
“These short-term aid deliveries are only a partial solution,” the agency said. “Without new funding, life-saving assistance is at risk.”
Afghanistan is in the midst of a deepening humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, nearly 23 million people—more than half the population—require humanitarian aid. Among them are over three million children and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women suffering from acute malnutrition.
The crisis has deepened with the rising number of Afghan refugees returning from Iran and Pakistan. According to the UN, over 1.4 million Afghans have returned to the country in the past six months.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan are grappling with a sharp decline in funding, especially following the suspension of U.S. aid, which had been the country’s main source of support.
Thus far, the UN’s $2.4 billion appeal for Afghanistan in 2025 is only 18% funded.
WFP has previously warned that the halt in U.S. food aid to countries like Afghanistan could amount to a “death sentence for millions facing extreme hunger and starvation.”
