Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) has issued a stark warning about the impact of reduced humanitarian aid on Afghanistan, leaving millions of people in dire need during the harsh winter months.
According to Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFP’s Afghanistan Country Director, nearly one-third of the country’s population—approximately 15 million people—are currently experiencing acute hunger. “Any potential reduction in assistance for Afghanistan is, of course, concerning,” Lee said.
Afghanistan has been grappling with severe food insecurity since August 2021, when the Taliban takeover plunged the country into economic turmoil. Development and security assistance was frozen, and banking sector restrictions worsened the situation. That winter, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported 23 million people in acute hunger. Though that number has decreased to 15 million, it still represents a significant humanitarian crisis.
“Fifteen million people is still one-third of the country. And it’s one-third of the population who are really struggling,” Lee emphasized.
Humanitarian aid, channeled through non-governmental organizations to bypass the Taliban administration, has provided a lifeline for many Afghans. However, donor contributions have steadily declined in recent years. The reductions are partly driven by global crises and concerns over the Taliban’s restrictions on women, including their ban on female NGO workers.
Lee, speaking to Reuters before concluding her three-year term in Afghanistan, revealed that funding cuts have left over six million Afghans without food rations this winter. “That’s over six million people who are probably eating one or two meals a day, and it’s just bread and tea,” she said. “Unfortunately, this is what the situation looks like for so many that have been removed from assistance.”
The WFP has repeatedly called for sustained international support to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Without urgent action, millions risk deepening hunger and hardship in the months ahead.
