KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan has been listed as one of six countries facing a “very high concern” level of hunger, according to a new report by UN food agencies on global “Hunger Hotspots.”
In their report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said the other countries classified at this level of hunger include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria.
The report also identified Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen as “highest concern” countries where populations face an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger.
Conflict and violence were cited as the primary drivers of hunger in these countries, with economic shocks, extreme weather, and critical funding shortfalls worsening the situation.
The UN agencies warned that humanitarian funding is falling far short of needs. “As of the end of October 2025, only $10.5 billion out of the $29 billion required to assist people most at risk had been received,” the report said.
“We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “We urgently need new funding and unimpeded access – a failure to act now will only drive further instability, migration, and conflict.”
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis has deepened since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Repeated droughts, economic collapse, and the reduction of international aid have pushed millions into poverty. The UN estimates that nearly 23 million Afghans—over half the population—now need humanitarian assistance, with malnutrition rates among women and children continuing to rise.
The ongoing mass return of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries, along with recent earthquakes in northern and western Afghanistan, has further worsened the humanitarian situation. According to the UN, more than 2.5 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan this year alone.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly called for increased international support, warning that without urgent intervention, Afghanistan could face a severe wave of hunger during the coming winter months.
