The IPC and U.N. World Food Programme warn that more than 17 million Afghans — about 3 million more than last year — will face crisis-level hunger this winter. Nearly 4 million children are acutely malnourished, including roughly 1 million who need hospital care. Food assistance currently reaches only about 2.7% of the population, and up to 4.7 million could be in emergency-level food insecurity through March 2026. The U.N. will prioritize lifesaving aid for the most urgent 3.9 million people amid shrinking funding and access challenges.
Over 17 Million Afghans Face Acute Food Insecurity This Winter, U.N. Warns
FILE - A crowd leaves a stadium after attending the public execution, carried out by Taliban authorities, in Khost, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir, File)
GENEVA — The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), together with the U.N. World Food Programme, warned that more than 17 million people in Afghanistan are expected to face crisis-level food insecurity during the coming winter months — roughly 3 million more than at the same time last year.
Crisis by the Numbers
The IPC report cites a combination of economic decline, repeated drought, reduced international aid and a large influx of returnees from neighboring Iran and Pakistan as the main drivers of the worsening situation. These factors have strained households, local markets and humanitarian response capacity across the country.
“What the IPC tells us is that more than 17 million people in Afghanistan are facing acute food insecurity. That is 3 million more than last year,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of Food Security at the U.N. World Food Programme, speaking to reporters in Geneva by video from Rome.
Nearly 4 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition; about 1 million of those are severely malnourished and require hospital treatment. The IPC estimates that food assistance is currently reaching only about 2.7% of the population, leaving many families without lifesaving support.
Short-Term Outlook and Humanitarian Priorities
For the four-month period through March 2026, more than 17 million people — over one-third of Afghanistan's population — are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity, and as many as 4.7 million could experience emergency-level conditions. IPC analysts expect some relief with the spring planting and harvest season beginning in April, but urgent needs persist through the winter.
Tom Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief, told the U.N. Security Council that the crisis has been intensified by "overlapping shocks" including recent deadly earthquakes and increasing restrictions on humanitarian access and staff. Fletcher said nearly 22 million Afghans will require U.N. assistance in 2026, but with reduced donor funding the U.N. plans to concentrate lifesaving support on about 3.9 million people in the most urgent need.
Humanitarian agencies emphasize the need for increased funding, expanded access for aid workers, and sustained support for vulnerable communities — especially children and internally displaced families — to avert further deterioration over the winter months.
