Funding Shortfalls and Clinic Closures Worsen Afghanistan’s Hunger Crisis

DID Press: United Nations has warned that hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan are rapidly worsening, with millions of people facing acute food insecurity amid funding shortages, healthcare facility closures and restrictions on humanitarian assistance.

UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the hunger and malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan was deteriorating rapidly and could no longer be considered merely a seasonal problem.According to the latest projections, more than 19.2 million people in Afghanistan are facing acute food insecurity.

Meanwhile, around four million children and 1.3 million mothers are experiencing malnutrition, raising concerns about the health and survival of the country’s most vulnerable populations.Limited access to healthcare services is further aggravating the crisis. Dujarric said approximately one-third of health facilities across Afghanistan, including 815 centres providing treatment for malnutrition, have closed or are no longer operational.

The World Food Programme has also warned that funding shortages will severely limit its winter response. The agency says it will be able to assist only one million of the five million people in need during the coming winter.The UN spokesperson added that the World Food Programme requires $545 million to respond to the crisis and continue providing assistance to vulnerable people over the next six months.

The worsening food insecurity, rising malnutrition and declining capacity of healthcare facilities have intensified concerns as millions of Afghan families depend on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.