KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – France has pledged €2 million to support livelihoods and food security for communities affected by last year’s earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the funding, provided in partnership with UNICEF and the French government, will help restore food security, improve nutrition, and protect livelihoods in affected areas.
According to FAO, the funds will be used to strengthen household food production, improve access to nutritious diets and essential services, and reduce malnutrition — particularly among women and children.
The project is expected to benefit around 51,870 people in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, where families are still recovering from the August 2025 earthquake amid worsening food insecurity and acute malnutrition.
“Many households are rebuilding in communities that have seen recent displacement and forced returns, adding strain to already limited land, food and basic services. Implementation will focus on Chawaki and Nurgal districts of Kunar province and Dara-e-Nur district of Nangarhar province, where damage to productive assets has directly undermined families’ ability to feed themselves. At the wider community level, the reach is expected to extend indirectly to approximately 190 000 additional people, as food production, nutrition and essential services are strengthened across districts.”
“Almost a year after the Nutrition for Growth summit held in Paris in March 2025, eradicating malnutrition in all its forms remains a priority for the French authorities. Through this project, France, FAO and UNICEF show that we can collectively bring concrete solutions for the Afghan people, who are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and especially women and children” said Salina Grenet-Catalano, Director of Global Affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and foreign affairs.
She added that food security and nutrition are not only humanitarian and development concerns but also foundations for peace, social stability and collective security.
FAO and UNICEF are implementing an integrated, gender-sensitive, community-based project to address both urgent needs and the long-term effects of the earthquake on food security and nutrition. The project aims to reduce malnutrition among women, adolescent girls, and children under five, while protecting livelihoods and strengthening local food systems—especially for women-headed households, pregnant and lactating women, and families with young children.
Through FAO’s Cash+ approach, the initiative combines unconditional cash assistance with livestock protection, backyard vegetable and poultry support, technical training, and nutrition education. It promotes agroecological practices and protects productive assets to prevent harmful coping strategies, such as selling livestock or essential resources.
UNICEF’s program aims to prevent child malnutrition and food poverty in Afghanistan by strengthening community-based solutions. It will support caregivers with guidance on infant and young child feeding, empower youth to create locally led first-food solutions, and promote safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for safe food preparation. For children already suffering from severe wasting, the program ensures timely treatment to protect survival and build long-term resilience.
The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that across Afghanistan, 3.7 million children and 1.2 million women are suffering from acute malnutrition.
An estimated 17.4 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity this year, including 4.7 million in emergency conditions (Phase 4).
Despite the deepening crisis, humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan continues to decline.
