WFP Warns of Worst Winter in Afghanistan as Food Aid Plunges 80%

DID Press: World Food Programme (WFP) warned about unprecedented funding shortfalls which forced it to cut food assistance in Afghanistan from 10 million people to just 2 million. UN officials say the country is heading into what could be its most catastrophic winter in nearly twenty years, marked by soaring hunger, deepening poverty, and rising malnutrition.

Karl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the WFP, told Al Jazeera that the current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is “critical and deteriorating.” He said poverty and malnutrition are rising at an alarming pace, and with winter approaching, the risk of death—especially among children and women—is increasing.

According to Skau, WFP has lost nearly half of its total funding, a drop the agency describes as the worst budget crisis it faces globally in 2025. As a result, its operations in Afghanistan have been drastically reduced, shrinking from 10 million beneficiaries to just 2 million.

“In some regions, we have been forced to scale back activities by 80 percent,” Skau warned. “We have been unable to pre-position food supplies in areas where we know children are likely to die during the winter.”

WFP also said that malnutrition among women and children is expected to worsen “dramatically” in the coming months, potentially reaching levels not seen in recent years. UNICEF estimates that 3.5 million Afghan children are suffering from acute malnutrition—a figure likely to grow as conditions deteriorate.

According to a recent OCHA report, 48 percent of Afghanistan’s population lives below the poverty line, and more than 22 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance—placing the country among the world’s most severe hunger crises.

Compounding the challenge, WFP has been forced to lay off roughly 5,000 staff members due to global funding shortages, further weakening its operational capacity.

UN officials warn that unless new funding is secured immediately, Afghanistan will face a humanitarian emergency this winter with consequences that could endure for years.