ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has warned that hunger and food insecurity are worsening across Afghanistan, with women and children bearing the brunt of the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
The UN World Food Program (WFP) said in its report that Afghanistan continues to face overlapping challenges, including economic collapse, high unemployment and climate-related shocks that have destroyed livelihoods and left millions struggling to afford basic necessities. Rising regional tensions have also contributed to higher food prices, adding pressure on already vulnerable households.
“The little food we can afford we give to our children, but that is not enough,” said Raqiba Ahmadi, a resident of Faizabad in northeastern Badakhshan province. She said her youngest daughter is recovering from malnutrition while her husband remains unemployed.
Vulnerable sections of the population are in severe danger of malnutrition in the country due to a shortage of resources and a sudden surge in prices of staple foods.
The WFP said persistent funding shortages have significantly reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food used to treat malnourished women and children.
The agency warned that without additional financial support, millions of Afghans will remain at risk of severe hunger and acute malnutrition.
The organization said it needed urgent funding to support millions amid a surging hunger crisis in Afghanistan.
