Published on: 2026-08-04
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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August 4, 2026 Humanitarian Aid
One in three residents of Afghanistan – 14 million people – are facing acute food shortages. This is stated in a statement published on Tuesday by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
As of today, according to UNHCR data, a critical level of acute child malnutrition has been recorded in 12 provinces of Afghanistan — the highest figure ever recorded in the country. The crisis is fueled by local conflicts, mass unemployment, rising food prices, reduction of humanitarian funding, and disruptions in supply routes.
Forced expatriation
The forced return of six million Afghans from Pakistan and Iran has increased the burden on the already fragile economy of the country.
“In the last three years, nearly six million Afghans have been forcibly displaced from neighboring countries,” explained WFP Director for Afghanistan, John Elyiff. Holding a briefing for journalists in Geneva via video link from Kabul, he reported that there are not enough jobs in the country to accommodate those returning.
“The conflict with Pakistan and the crisis in the Middle East have caused disruptions in trade, due to which prices for basic food products have risen by 20–30 percent… Prices are pushing the poor out of the market,” he added.
Due to massive cuts in international funding, WFP can now feed only one out of nine hungry people in Afghanistan.
Exhaustion of children
Child malnutrition has reached critical levels in a third of the country’s provinces.
“The number of children being brought to medical centers is rapidly increasing… In 80 percent of cases, these are children under two years old. Non-governmental humanitarian organizations report that many of them are brought too late,” said John Eliff.
The reduction in humanitarian funding, he added, means that “millions of severely malnourished Afghan children are being denied assistance precisely at the moment when their lives are at risk,” leading to preventable deaths.
The fate of the mother
During a recent visit to Kandahar province, WFP staff met Farida, a mother of three children whose story reflects the situation of many poor families in the country. Her husband, an elderly street vendor, earns less than a dollar a day, which prevents the family from affording proper food and medical care.
Two of Farida’s children suffer from anemia, and her six-year-old son has been unable to attend school for several months due to acute malnutrition – the boy is very weak.
“When we were talking to Farida, her child started crying from hunger,” said the WFP director for Afghanistan. “She reached into her bag and took out a baby bottle. Usually, such a bottle contains milk, but hers had weak tea. There was simply no money for milk in the house.”
The family barely survives on tea and bread. According to Farida, without the food assistance they receive through the clinic supported by WFP, her children would simply die.
“It is hard to hear such stories,” noted John Eyliff. “WFP programs are funded this year only to the extent that one in seven women and one in seven children with acute malnutrition can be fed. We are leaving six out of seven empty-handed.”
In partnership with UNICEF, WFP treats malnourished children under five years old, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in clinics across the country; however, a sharp reduction in humanitarian funding has forced the agency to prioritize only the most needy.
The distribution of specialized nutritional products to prevent malnutrition and stunting completely stopped in May 2025. The WFP operational budget for emergency food assistance programs in 2026 is estimated at approximately $900 million, of which $500 million has not yet been received.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.