Afghanistan is confronting an escalating humanitarian emergency as freezing winter conditions, widespread food insecurity and sharp reductions in international aid leave millions struggling to survive, aid agencies have warned.
Families across the country are living in makeshift shelters, burning scraps of wood and rubbish to stay warm and scavenging for food amid soaring prices and limited work opportunities, according to United Nations assessments.
More than 17 million people in Afghanistan are now facing acute food insecurity this winter (up by about three million from last year) and nearly 4.7 million could reach emergency levels of hunger, the World Food Programme (WFP) has said.
The crisis has been compounded this year by the return of more than 2.6 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan, driven largely by tightened migration policies and deteriorating protection conditions. This has placed further strain on limited local resources and services, according to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Aid organisations report surging malnutrition, particularly among children and women, while clinics and distribution points are overwhelmed.
Samiullah, a 55-year-old Afghan deportee from Iran, described the daily struggle with cold and hunger.
“We live here out of necessity and hardship. Whatever is within our power, we will do. Our hearts long for many things, but we simply cannot afford them. When the wind and rain come, we hold our children close and keep going — because we have no choice. The children cry that it’s cold, but what can we do? We endure because we have to.”
He also spoke of days without sufficient food.
“There was a time we went hungry for two days. I had only 50 Afghanis ($0.75), and with that small amount, we bought bread for the children. We tore it into pieces and shared it among them. Adults can endure hunger, but children cannot. For two days, we survived on just 50 Afghanis.”
Alarming statistics
WFP estimates that around 4.9 million mothers and children in Afghanistan will need treatment for malnutrition by March 2026, and that nearly one in five people in the country face extreme hunger due to the confluence of drought, displacement and economic decline.
John Aylieff, WFP’s country director, warned of an alarming escalation in hunger, saying that one third of the population are experiencing acute hunger.
According to Aylieff, the situation is dramatically worse than last year due to a confluence of factors.
"There's a drought in the north. Malnutrition is rising exponentially. We have the return of 2.5 million people this year to Afghanistan. The forced return. All these things are coming together to create a perfect storm for Afghanistan,” he stated.
Humanitarian organisations also stress that funding shortfalls have left them badly overstretched, reaching only a fraction of those in need while long queues form at food distribution sites.
The United Nations and its partners have launched a $1.7 billion appeal to assist nearly 18 million people, but resources are declining; this year’s appeal reflects a reduction in aid compared with 2025, even as needs grow.
Crisis outlook
More than 45% of Afghanistan’s population (roughly 21.9 million people) is estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2026, with the worst impacts expected through the lean season and winter months.
Aid groups have repeatedly warned that, without additional support, malnutrition and food insecurity could worsen, with especially severe consequences for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
The humanitarian organisation Save the Children estimates that more than 9 million Afghan children face critical hunger this winter, with malnutrition admissions rising sharply compared with last year.
The crisis highlights the challenges of overlapping emergencies in Afghanistan, where decades of conflict, economic hardship, environmental disasters and restricted humanitarian access continue to erode resilience among the most vulnerable families.
Operations at several energy facilities in Saudi Arabia were suspended on Tuesday after attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces injured more than 70 ...
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at leas...
Twelve countries said on Tuesday they would introduce, support or consider trade restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, i...
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Operations at several energy facilities in Saudi Arabia were suspended on Tuesday after attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces injured more than 70 people and sparked fires, Saudi authorities said.
The future of the Caspian Sea is in focus at Baku Climate Action Week, with experts examining how the region can adapt to a changing climate while protecting communities, infrastructure and ecosystems.
Syria's government has integrated armed factions into the national army and is restructuring its security institutions as part of a broader effort to consolidate state authority and support the country's post-conflict recovery, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday.
Kazakhstan plans to build an international Earth observation satellite network of up to 14 spacecraft, expanding a project already bringing together Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.
Iran has dismissed a joint U.S.-E3 draft resolution on its nuclear programme as “meaningless, illogical, and illegal”, saying Tehran is ready to respond if the measure is pursued at the ongoing IAEA board meeting in Vienna.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment