The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has raised urgent alarms over Afghanistan’s hunger crisis, warning that malnutrition among children has reached record levels, with nearly 4 million at risk of severe food shortages. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report highlights that acute hunger now affects millions more than last year, pushing the crisis to alarming levels.
Between January 2025 and December 2026, an estimated 3.7 million children aged 6–59 months are projected to suffer acute malnutrition, with around 26% experiencing severe cases. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also severely affected, with 1.2 million expected to face acute malnutrition during this period.
Read more: Afghanistan’s deepening crisis: nine in ten families face hunger
The report indicates that conditions are expected to worsen in provinces such as Faryab and Paktika, moving from serious to critical malnutrition phases, while 18 provinces remain in serious condition. Funding shortages and limited access to treatment further heighten the risk of child fatalities, particularly during harsh winter months.
Afghanistan is grappling with overlapping crises including drought, earthquakes, a struggling economy, and mass deportations from Pakistan and Iran, which have displaced millions. WFP urgently requires $468 million to provide life-saving food assistance to six million of the country’s most vulnerable people.
Read more: Record levels of hunger persist in Afghanistan: UN-backed report
The convergence of natural disasters, economic collapse, and displacement has intensified the humanitarian emergency, straining public services and leaving millions dependent on urgent international aid to survive the ongoing food crisis.