Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The World Food Program (WFP) has raised alarms about the worsening humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, where a harsh winter is compounding the struggles of millions already living in dire conditions. Families across the country are being forced to make heart-wrenching choices between feeding their children and keeping them warm.
“Millions of families are confronting winter without enough food,” the WFP stated on Monday in a post on X. “Most are forced to make impossible decisions—whether to feed their children or keep them warm.”
The warning follows reports of heavy snowfall over the past 24 hours in northeastern and western provinces, worsening the plight of vulnerable communities.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), an estimated 23.7 million Afghans—nearly 60% of the population—require humanitarian assistance. This figure includes 9.2 million children.
OCHA’s November report also highlighted significant barriers to aid delivery, pointing to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights as a key obstacle to improving the humanitarian landscape.
Afghanistan remains among the 22 nations facing acute hunger crises, with 12.4 million people experiencing severe food insecurity, WFP data reveals. Many Afghans are unsure how they will secure their next meal.
Desperation has driven families to adopt extreme measures for survival. In November, the WFP reported cases of families marrying off young daughters to cope with growing hunger and poverty. Rural households are disproportionately affected, with four out of five families taking on significant debt to buy food.
The average household debt for food stands at 38,200 Afghanis (around $560), highlighting the scale of the crisis.
Aid organizations are urging international donors to act swiftly, warning that failure to address Afghanistan’s food insecurity and harsh winter conditions could lead to further humanitarian catastrophe.
