Hunger Threatens Nearly 5 Million in Afghanistan

The International Committee of the Red Cross says 4.7 million people in Afghanistan are facing hunger, with assessments revealing the depth of the crisis.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a new report that 4.7 million people in Afghanistan are facing hunger, with recent assessments revealing the depth of the food crisis in several hard-hit areas.

The ICRC warned that 17 million people nationwide are in urgent need of humanitarian food assistance, underscoring the scale of food insecurity across the country amid prolonged economic collapse.

In response, the organisation said it has expanded emergency food support in the provinces of Bamyan, Kunar and Herat, targeting the most vulnerable households during the harsh winter period.

Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is driven by a collapsed economy, with around 75% unemployment nationwide and nearly 90% of the population living below the poverty line, according to international estimates, severely limiting families’ ability to buy food.

Years of conflict, international isolation, frozen assets and declining aid flows have compounded economic hardship, while droughts and natural disasters continue to erode livelihoods in rural and urban areas alike.

The ICRC said 95% of people surveyed showed poor food consumption, reporting severe coping measures such as borrowing money and delaying medical care, while malnutrition rates among infants and young children remain alarmingly high.

The report warned that about 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2026, while 3.7 million children under five are already affected, including one-third with severe acute malnutrition.

ICRC Afghanistan chief Lisa Owen said acute hunger remains a persistent challenge, warning that deep funding shortages are forcing cuts to lifesaving programmes, pushing millions closer to starvation unless urgent international support increases.

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