KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued an urgent appeal for $539 million to assist millions of people in Afghanistan as the country’s hunger crisis continues to deepen.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the UN agency warned that the situation is becoming more severe each day, with women, children and returnees among the most affected.
According to WFP, around 10 million people — roughly a quarter of Afghanistan’s population — require emergency food assistance. The agency also said that two-thirds of families led by women cannot afford basic nutrition, and 3.5 million children are suffering from malnutrition.
Afghanistan is currently experiencing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Decades of conflict, prolonged drought, and repeated natural disasters have left nearly 23 million people — more than half of the population — in need of aid this year, the UN says.
The situation has deteriorated further due to the large-scale return of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries. Thousands are crossing the border daily, often with limited or no means of support. Taliban authorities say nearly 1.8 million people have returned from Iran in the past three months alone.
Despite growing needs, funding remains far below what is required. The UN’s 2025 humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan was scaled back from $2.42 billion to $1.62 billion but is only 13.3% funded as of April.
The UN and humanitarian organizations have warned that, without urgent and sustained assistance, the situation will continue to deteriorate — placing thousands of lives, particularly those of women and children, at risk of starvation.
